Entries Tagged 'All-in-OneTerminals' ↓

By: Lisa Terry

Vertical Systems Reseller Magazine

The point of sale is getting smaller. All-in-one terminals, embraced early in hospitality, are growing in popularity among retailers for their small footprint, clean, cable-free aesthetics and easy installation – they can even be mounted on a wall. Sacrifices once made in serviceability and performance have largely been eliminated through improved design, and more software now offers the required touch-screen interface.

All-in-ones are now a foregone conclusion,” says Larry Sampey, general manager of Casio’s Electronic Cash Register Division.

All-in-ones — defined for our purposes as integrated touch screen and processor (see sidebar article on page 28) – still aren’t right for every application. Heavy data entry demands a keyboard – though some use keyboards with their all-in-ones. And modular pieces and parts solutions are the best bet for picking your own components or being open to run several different applications and peripherals.

Here are some trends in all-in-ones that are causing some VARs to reconsider their earlier perceptions of the form factor:

1. Serviceability. With all of that technology jammed into a small space, all-in-ones have been perceived as difficult to service. That’s changed with modular designs that put more commonly replaced parts such as hard drives and motherboards behind secure thumbscrews. On NCR’s RealPOS 70, “the display opens up like a car hood to provide easy access to internal components,” says Bob Doles, RealPOS product line director for NCR.

“In the past you had to do depot service because they were complicated to service,” says Craig Paritz, president of Touch Dynamic. “Now, the focus of all systems is service.”

 ”Servicing and supporting all-in-ones simplifies the task of the support organization since there are not the variety of hardware versions that you may find among PC manufacturers,” says Joel Snyder, North American director of sales for Posiflex. “The all-in-ones are designed to be serviced quickly and efficiently.”

2. Better cooling, faster processors. Cramped quarters used to mean no fans, and that greatly limited the use of hotter, faster processors. That’s changed with designs for higher-end units that enable fan use and use of dual core processors that run cooler. NCR, for example, incorporates a cooling duct that directs air across the processor while protecting the motherboard from contaminants. Kitchens are still a no-fan zone, to avoid pulling in kitchen debris.

Lower-end all-in-ones often still lack fans and require a trade-off in processing power as a result, though this may be fine for the scope of the applications they run. But fanless is entering higher-level machines as well.

3. New touch-screen technology. Resistive and infrared still dominate, but they’ve been joined by more options that offer different strengths and vulnerabilities, giving more options for fitting screen to environment. Elo TouchSystems has introduced acoustic pulse recognition (APR) technology, which offers a durable and responsive glass screen, comparable cost and can be used with any stylus; so far it’s only offered in monitors, not all-in-ones.

4. Lower costs. The $999 price point has been the magic threshold that VARs wanted to see all-in-ones cross over. Touch Dynamic says it’s about to introduce one; it’s called the “Breeze”. The price differential between modular and all-in-ones has dropped to the point that it can be less of a factor for all but the most price-sensitive buyers – often about $150 for comparable systems. “Price is less of an objection than it has been,” says Tim Lindsay, vice president sales and marketing for Dalcom Consulting, an NCR VAR in Greensboro, N.C.

5. Increased reliability. Three-year warranties are basically standard for all-in-ones, and their integrated designs are intended to reduce cable use and points of failure. “Hard drives are a great deal more reliable than they were, and advancements in using compact flash, so there are no moving parts, is coming,” says Roy Barker, vice president sales, Xpient Solutions, a Logic Controls partner in Charlotte, N.C.

6. Bigger screens. Fifteen- and even 17-inch screen sizes are becoming more common in all-in-ones, without significantly increasing the overall size of the machine. The larger screens reduce the need for new windows in applications, boosting productivity and line speed. “In a quick-service environment, the more information you can get on a single screen, the fewer key strokes, the better,” says Andrew King, president of Southern Retail Systems, a Toshiba/TEC VAR in London, Ky., who is also a BlueStar partner.

7. More integrated peripherals. Some manufacturers are boosting the number of peripherals that can be integrated into their units. Biometric readers, wireless radios, speakers and powered USB ports are among the newer options. Elo has even had requests to integrate a cash drawer, although there are no plans to do so right now.

8. Eco-friendly. All-in-ones sporting dual-core processors offer reduced clock speeds, “so you can entertain fanless processors and lower power consumption,” says Alan Outlaw, business line executive, SurePOS portfolio, for IBM Retail Store Solutions. “That saves on the utility bill and reduces the carbon footprint.” Remote system management and utilities that enable remote power off also make a positive energy-saving impact.

9. ECR replacement. Falling price points and compact form factors mean all-in-ones are now winning buyers away from electronic cash registers. “We’re at an inflection point where PC-based POS shipments will exceed ECR shipments,” says IBM’s Outlaw. “We’re trying to capture the transition by providing something similar in feel but more into the Windows-based world.”

10. March into retail. All-in-ones have grown to take 40 percent of the convenience store market and 12 percent of specialty hard goods, according to IHL Consulting. “People like the high-tech look of all-in-ones, even if they don’t offer a significant advantage” in performance, says Jackson Lum, president of Logic Controls.

Elo is seeing use not only at retail POS, but as a thin-client computer serving digital signage functions, says Lorna Wood, worldwide marketing manager for Tyco Electronics’ Elo TouchSystems. Other emerging markets include health care, for administrative and patient check-in, and banking, for training programs, Wood says.

Customers hesitant to embrace the form factor have quickly learned to “get over it, once they see the benefits and ROI. “Once we explain how the hard drive is mounted, the fan, the mean time between failure rates, concerns go away pretty quickly,  and they love the bigger touch screens available,” says Dalcom’s Lindsay.

Perhaps the most important decision point is balancing the benefits of the hardware with future, as-yet-unknown needs. A key step in selecting an all-in-one is to test the application on various models to ensure it meets speed and performance requirements, advises Lum of Logic Controls.

A customer may be fine with an all-in-one with an Intel Celeron 2.5 GHz processor with 2 MB RAM, for example, but five years later decide to move to a new operating system to get some software benefit, such as real-time couponing or labor management, and face whole-terminal, rather than PC-only replacement, says Xpient’s Barker. While he sees a real benefit in all-in-ones, “We’re being challenged by large accounts to operate on existing 8-year-old hardware,” Barker says. “They can’t afford to spend the majority of money on hardware when they want to upgrade software.” Software companies are thus required to write extremely tight, efficient software to meet customer needs while accommodating the limitations and varied vintages of their POS units.

Because of differing priorities, all-in-ones increasingly run the gamut in price, performance and features, giving VARs a wide variety
of choice.

“Our challenge as manufacturers is to build the high-end stuff to deliver the best quality, but buyers don’t always want to pay for it, which is why we offer a family of product,” says Elo’s Wood. Buyers “want it all.”

The Elo 17A2 touchcomputer offers expanded versatility with options for magnetic strip reader, rear-facing customer display, biometric fingerprint security, barcode scanner, speaker bar and DVD drive in a space-saving standard 17″ footprint

HARRISBURG, Pa – Jan. 14, 2008 — Continuing its history of innovative engineering, Elo TouchSystems has turned its recently announced 1729L 17″ integrated multifunction touchmonitor into a fully-functioning, fan-less, all-in-one touchcomputer. The new 17A2 not only retains both the compact footprint of the 1729L and its comprehensive range of options, but also adds a host of new features to help customers gain an even firmer foothold in the point-of-service marketplace. Many diverse applications take advantage of the capabilities of the new 17A2 all-in-one touchcomputer including loyalty systems, kiosk information systems, home control, casino management, POS systems and Internet access points such as those for web surfing and hotel reservations.

Expanded versatility, bigger screen, and improved serviceability all in a compact design

The 17A2 touchcomputer with dual video display capability includes a choice of the industry-leading Elo TouchSystems touch technologies: AccuTouch Five-Wire Resistive, IntelliTouch Surface Wave, CarrollTouch Infrared and the company’s innovative Acoustic Pulse Recognition (APR) that blends the benefits of all three. Elo’s touch technologies provide stable, durable touch options that are resistant to scratches and liquids and can be activated in a variety of ways. Also, the 17A2 comes with 1280 x 1024 SXGA resolution and 5 x 4 aspect ratio to display clear, precise graphics for improved readability.

The space-saving, compact design of the17A2 touchcomputer offers increased flexibility for easy integration of a variety of optional field-replaceable peripherals including: three-track magnetic stripe reader (MSR) for credit, ID and loyalty card transactions; customer-facing display to verify those transactions; biometric fingerprint recognition for increased security; 3-watt speaker bar with optional single-line or omni-directional barcode scanner; and DVD drive. Elo’s unique cable management design conceals cables from view providing additional security from tampering and robust tie-downs for strain relief. The multi-adjustable stand offers flexibility to accommodate a variety of installation configurations and the base is easily removed for secure mounting to countertops and walls. Serviceability is enhanced with easy access to the hard drive and compact flash through a slide-out drawer.

Enhanced System Performance

In order to provide the higher computing power necessary for today’s point-of-service applications, Elo placed a 1 GHz Intel Celeron M processor with 400 MHz front-side-bus (FSB) at the heart of the new 17A2 all-in-one touchcomputer. DDR2 system memory capacity can be expanded to 1.5GB and an integrated mini-PCI slot enables optional high-speed wireless LAN connectivity via 802.11g standards. Two serial, four USB 2.0 and one Ethernet port provide expansion capability to accommodate both legacy and future peripheral add-ons. Elo has also added cash drawer, powered USB, and VGA-out ports and support for Windows Embedded for Point-of-Service (WEPOS). In addition, the new 17A2 all-in-one touchcomputer is compatible with all of Microsoft’s major operating systems such as Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Embedded and Windows Vista Business.

Ready for Public Access

“The 17A2 is designed for touch from the ground up and includes all of the functionality expected from an Elo public-access product, with features such as reliable, silent, fan-less operation and cables hidden from the user’s view” comments Elo TouchSystems product manager, Frank Lung. Lung confirms that the optional peripherals are seamlessly integrated into the 17A2’s compact design and the all-in-one touchcomputer offers a new adjustable base that can function as a tall or short stand. “The controls, placed on the side and not on the front, include a lockout function and multilingual on-screen display (OSD). We not only manufacture the 17A2 touchcomputer but also provide a single point of contact for service and support. After all,” Lung adds, “Elo invented touch technology over 35 years ago and we’ve been consistently innovating and improving our designs ever since.”

About Tyco Electronics

Tyco Electronics Ltd. is a leading global provider of engineered electronic components, network solutions, wireless systems and undersea telecommunication systems, with fiscal 2007 sales of US$13.5 billion to customers in more than 150 countries. We design, manufacture and market products for customers in industries from automotive, appliance and aerospace and defense to telecommunications, computers and consumer electronics. With approximately 8,000 engineers and worldwide manufacturing, sales and customer service capabilities, Tyco Electronics’ commitment is our customers’ advantage. More information on Tyco Electronics can be found at www.tycoelectronics.com.

About Elo TouchSystems

Tyco Electronics’ Elo TouchSystems’ broad portfolio comprises the largest selection of touchscreen technologies, touchmonitors and touchcomputers specifically designed for the demanding requirements of diverse applications, such as industrial, medical, POS, kiosks, retail, hospitality, transportation and gaming. Over 35 years ago, Elo founders invented the touchscreen and since then, Elo has been recognized as the global leader in touch technology. For more information on Elo products and services, please contact 800-ELO-TOUCH (800-356-8682), visit www.elotouch.com or direct email inquiries to eloinfo@elotouch.com.

AccuTouch, CarrollTouch, Elo TouchSystems, IntelliTouch, TE logo, and Tyco Electronics are trademarks. All other products and company names referred to herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders.

# # #

Contacts

Marketing Communications
Lorna Wood
(650) 361-4948
lorna.wood@elotouch.com

Product Communications
Frank Lung
(650) 361-4817
frank.lung@elotouch.com

Fanless point of sale terminals are gaining a lot of traction and becoming more and more popular. Several name brand manufacturers of all-in-one point of sale terminals are scrambling to come out with their own version of this popular technology.

The reason for this popularity stems from the harsh environment that these terminals are asked to work. Restaurants in general and kitchen in particular are notorious for grease and steam being in the air. Traditional point of sale terminals and computers have fans that either pull air into the computer or push air out (which draws air in from another point on the computer). This movement of air is necessary to keep the temperature inside the computer within limits. Some computer chips are so hot that a fan is placed directly over the chip to keep it cool.

When temperatures get too high this shortens the life of the computer. If one of these fans quits working the life expectancy of the computer could be a matter of minutes, if not shorter.

For restaurants fans in computers and touch screens has always posed an additional challenge. The fans were necessary to keep temperatures in the computers down. However, these same fans pulled in grease and steam from the kitchen, which then settled onto the boards and chips inside the computer. This then coated the entire inside of the computer with a layer of grease that then acted like a magnet for the dust in the air. With this combination of grease and dust it does not take long before a blanket is covering the inside of the computer, causing the chips to overheat and the computer to fail.

Moving parts of any machine are the most common point of failure for that device. Fans are one of the only moving parts left on a computer. Removing this potential point of failure has been a goal of computer designers for years.

TekVisions has introduced the Tek-365 Touch Screen Computer. This fanless terminal is priced aggressively and has the power needed to run today’s point of sale software. The terminal has 512MB of RAM and a 40GB Hard drive that is combined with the WEPOS operating system.

Posiflex recently introduced their fanless terminal the Posiflex KS6315. This terminal has up to 1GB of RAM and a 40GB Hard drive.

The Posiflex KS6315 has a wide variety of operating systems with some units configured for no operating system, which give you the option of loading the operating system yourself.

The Posiflex KS6315 also has customized peripherals that tightly integrate with the unit such as a rear display and a magnetic card reader. The Posiflex KS6315 also has a fingerprint reader for even tighter security of your system.

Fanless terminals may look on paper to be slower than other computers. But what you don’t see is the longer life a fanless terminal offers. In restaurant applications, the advantage you gain in life may far outweigh the slight sacrifice in processor speed. With the additional RAM offered in these terminals and the reduced requirement for operating speed of most point of sale software applications you and your staff may never know that you are using a fanless terminal, except that it should not break as often.

Adminstrator

www.myposterminal.com

www.myposprinter.com

We get this questin a lot. More than you might expect. Here are some thoughts to help you decide.

All-in-one touch computers come in 15″ touch screen and 17″ touch screen versions. You will find manufacturers such as; Elo Touch and Posiflex.

Asthetics

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that does include computers. Some people, especially those who put touch screen termnals where their customer can see them like to have the all-in-one terminals. They are willing to spend the extra money to have a better looking terminal on the counter. The sleek designs of the all-in-one terminals lend themselves to the owner who wants to present a fancier look to their customers.

On the other hand, with a little creative thinking the 2-piece touch screen can be made to look even better. By placing just the touch screen and the printer above the counter and the computer and cash drawer below the counter the customer is given an even cleaner look.

Either way, wires are going to be dealt with through a small hole in the counter. If given prior thought you can even have the hole drilled so that the terminal or touch screen sits on top of the hole, providing an even better look to the customer.

Performance

Zero difference. None. Nada. Zip. Either choice performs great and with equal speed.

Both types of hardware come in a wide variety of processors and RAM. Since your choices are so varied you should not have a problem with performance.

Maintenance

Here you might find a difference. If you have a hardware failure on any part of the all-in-one the entire terminal is down for repair. Pack up the entire unit and send it off.

The 2-piece unit gives you some options. Only send in for repair the portion of the unit that actually needs repair. If the touch screen is down, simply send in the touch screen for repair and put your back up touch screen in its place. If the computer is down pack it up for repair and put a temporary unit in its place. Since you should have installed the computer under the counter no one will notice that it is a temporary unit.

Investment

Generally, the all-in-one units cost $200 – $600 more than a comparible 2-peice unit. Of course, there are always exceptions but you generally do save with a 2-peice unit.

15″ Touch Screens start under $500 and go up from there. You then attach a low-priced PC and a thermal printer for under $250. You now have a complete terminal for just over $1,000.

Administrator

www.myposterminal.com