IBM POS Store Solutions

IBM Retail Store Solutions develops products primarily for point of sale and consumer service devices. These are not office PCs repackaged or customized for retail applications; they are systems specifically designed to meet the unique demands of the real retail world. During industrial design, IBM ensures retail hardening through:

Material selection
IBM insists on high-quality materials, using heavier grades of sheet metal and impact resistant plastics. The plastic they select is UV-resistant to prevent yellowing, which can occur with systems that are exposed to direct sunlight. It is pliant, so it helps resist cracking. Plus, the plastic they use to construct the exterior components of the system (including the monitor and peripherals) meets the highest ratings for flammability resistance. This plastic helps minimize risk, because it is designed to help control the spread of fire in a store, should one occur.

Component selection
IBM uses considerable collective purchasing power to acquire high-quality components. They have an ‘A-list’ of key suppliers and invest heavily in quality assurance programs for these select few suppliers. This allows IBM to select components that are designed to deliver longer life spans under retail conditions. A good example is their connectors, the majority of which are gold-plated to reduce corrosion. Other commercial PC manufacturers use tin-plated connectors that are not as robust for retail environments.

In some situations where IBM was unable to find the proper retail-ready components, they designed them. For example, they have created system boards with a planned life cycle production that is considerably longer than the production run of a typical PC. They do this because most rollouts in retail can take more than six months (the typical PC product life). With their system board, retailers can maintain a single platform throughout an enterprise rollout without having to purchase all the hardware in advance of the installation. If a standard PC system board were used, retailers would probably have to buy all the systems in advance or support up to four discrete hardware platforms
Can your retail systems meet these standards? Are they retail-hardened to deliver reliability from day one? Request a quote today to see how IBM retail solutions can deliver stronger performance and greater value for your business. To learn how an IBM POS can transform your front end operations, please contact STCR Business Systems, Inc. at (607) 757-0181. STCR has been selling, installing and supporting IBM Cash Register Systems for more than 30 years and we have been in business for 44 years. We are an IBM Premier Business Partner with the in-house expertise to install and support IBM Products and train your personnel in the most professional manner.

PCI Compliance

Being compliant with the PA-DSS guidelines is an ongoing process and grocers need to be ever vigilant. PCI compliance may be difficult to understand. In order to be compliant you need to follow all of the 12 steps in the PCI Data Security Standard. What is the PCI Data Security Standard Requirements? “PCI DSS version 2.0 is the global data security standard that any business of any size must adhere to in order to accept payment cards, and to store, process, and/or transmit cardholder data. It presents common-sense steps that mirror best security practices.”


Here is a list of the main 12 requirements you must follow to be PCI compliant:

Requirement 1: Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data
Requirement 2: Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters
Requirement 3: Protect stored cardholder data
Requirement 4: Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks
Requirement 5: Use and regularly update anti-virus software or programs
Requirement 6: Develop and maintain secure systems and applications
Requirement 7: Restrict access to cardholder data by business need to know
Requirement 8: Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access
Requirement 9: Restrict physical access to cardholder data
Requirement 10: Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data
Requirement 11: Regularly test security systems and processes
Requirement 12: Maintain a policy that addresses information security for all personnel

Here is a link to the actual document, version 2.0: https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/security_standards/documents.php?association=PCI-DSS (you will need to agree to the terms when you first click the link)

PCI is always changing to better protect your customer’s information. Below are some links to help understand PCI.

https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/security_standards/why_comply.php
https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/merchants/how_to_be_compliant.php

5 Easy Marketing Steps

Many small-business owners think marketing is something have you have to do every six months or so. But if your marketing is constant and targeted rather than occasional and unfocused, business gets easier. If potential customers have a positive view of your goods, services and reputation before they start shopping, you're that much closer to getting that customer in your door. Marketing is also not tied to a price tag. Marketing is defined only by putting the right message in front of the right person at the right time. Here are 5 ideas for getting your name out there:


1. Take steps to make customers feel special. Customers respond to being recognized, especially in these rush-rush, get-the-lowest-price times.

2. Develop an electronic mailing list. Most grocers have a weekly sale flier, but why not try an e-mail marketing newsletter. It is a cheap and easy way to stay in front of your customer. Just be sure that signing up for the e-newsletter is quick and easy by adding the link to your website or adding the address for the e-newsletter to your weekly sales flier.

3. Take part in community events. Join in some of your community events. This will put you in the position of getting to know a lot of people and also show you care about what goes on in your neighborhood.

4. Become an online expert. Using the internet is a cheap and easy way to reach thousands of potential customers. Utilize free services such as Facebook and Twitter. You can also have a website created for a nominal fee.

5. Don't let customers slip away. It costs a lot less to retain a disgruntled or inactive customer than to acquire a new one. Make an effort to reel them back in. If you customer hasn’t been in your store in some time, send a personalized e-mail and/or an incentive to get them back through your door.

THE DATALOGIC Skorpio™

ERGONOMIC AND RELIABLE: The Datalogic Skorpio™ is a rugged mobile computer particularly suitable for mobile commerce solutions in the retail environment both on store shelves and in the stock room. Thanks to one of the best ergonomics ever seen on the market, Datalogic Skorpio™ reduces operator fatigue with no compromise in terms of reliability and robustness, resisting harsh environments, multiple drops, strong shocks and repetitive tumbles.


WIRELESS COMMUNICATION: Its wireless communication capabilities (Bluetooth®, IEEE 802.11b/g) enable fast transactions and complete interaction with information systems including the newest RF security protocols such as WPA™ and WPA2™. Moreover, Cisco Compatible Extensions CCX V4 certification permits all the advantages offered by the Cisco WLAN infrastructure to be exploited.

“GREEN SPOT” FEEDBACK: The Datalogic Skorpio™ offers the unique feature of integrated data capture technology combined with “green spot” feedback (Datalogic patent), providing a”good read” green dot directly on the code, where the operator usually tends to be looking.

USER-FRIENDLY: The Datalogic Skorpio™ large high visibility color graphic display with touch screen helps users work more efficiently, while the practical 38-key “alpha & numeric” keypad and the new simplified 28-key numeric keypad allows data, codes and descriptions to be input very quickly.

To learn how the Datalogic Skorpio Hand Held can transform your operations, please contact STCR Business Systems, Inc. at (607) 757-0181.

Network Security: Wired and Wireless

A business needs to be able to safely access the internet, while at the same time allow authorized users access to company data. Firewalls, anti-virus software, email filters and the like can be used to reduce the introduction of malicious software and unauthorized access from outside and inside the company. One of the most important decisions for any company is the type of network structure to use, wired or wireless. Cost, reliability and security top the list of considerations. Traditionally, wired networks have been deemed more secure than wireless configurations. This view is rapidly becoming obsolete with the development and implementation of better authentication and encryption standards for wireless technology.


Both the wired and wireless options have the same goals: ensure that information confidentiality and integrity is maintained, allow only authorized access and to detect and prevent intrusions. The original standard for wireless networking was flawed, giving rise to the view that the technology was not a safe option. Prior to 2002, the standard adopted for wireless LANs by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) was WEP - Wired Equivalent Privacy. This standard was found to be inadequate for meeting necessary security requirements. With WEP, data is protected using RC4 encryption; user authentication determined by a pre-shared key. The key could be cracked, allowing data to be modified and otherwise compromised. These issues were addressed by the IEEE. In 2002, the WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) was introduced, and in 2004 the IEEE adopted WPA2 as the new standard. WPA2 uses the AES encryption algorithm. AES is considered extremely secure and is approved for military use. Additionally, two methods for authentication are employed including RADIUS, a security option used in wired networks. WPA2 is the basis for setting up a secure wireless LAN.

Most companies do not implement wired-only or wireless-only networks. A combination of both strategies comprise a typical network. The wireless option is more popular than ever. Hand-held scanners, price-checkers, as well as devices recently available as wireless - such as printers, are standard equipment. While no network can have absolute security, properly implement wireless segments of a network can be just as secure as the wired segment.

Is your wireless equipment up-to-date? Contact STCR at (607) 757-0181 for information on access points, hand-scanners and more.

WIC EBT

By now you have either heard of or in some states you are now processing, WIC EBT. What is WIC EBT? It stands for Electronic Benefit Transfer for Women, Infants and Children. This will eventually replace the paper vouchers which are now in use. There are two forms that will be used:

Online: Using a card with a magnetic stripe which needs a live connection to the processing host functioning much like a credit card transaction.

Smart Card: Which communicates to information stored on a card containing memory which connects directly to the POS terminal and then batch processes the data to the host at a later time. Each state is allowed to choose one of the two methods for processing the WIC EBT.

This map from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service website shows the status of each state’s implementation for WIC EBT. http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/EBT/wicebt.htm

Will Tax Reform Effect your Business

Many tax experts suggest the following approach to tax reform: Cut high statutory rates in return for eliminating many loopholes and deductions. Given high federal deficits, they have indicated that corporate tax reform would have to be revenue-neutral, shifting the tax burden from those paying a lot to those paying a little, while not lowering the total amount of tax paid by corporations.


Owners of small C corporations should be wary. They would be prime targets to pay more tax if this approach moves forward because they pay the lowest effective tax rate under the current system. To ensure that corporate tax reform is revenue neutral, reformers would likely target deductions and loopholes that many small corporations use.

Few would disagree that our corporate tax system is flawed and should be fixed. Our statutory corporate tax rates have been higher than in every other developed country except Japan and will soon be the highest in the world. At the same time, the amount of taxes corporations actually pay is uneven. Because of a multitude of deductions and loopholes, many companies pay less than the statutory rate. The New York Times reported that 115 companies among the biggest public companies listed on the Standard and Poor's 500-stock index paid federal and other taxes amounting to less than 20 percent of income from 2006 through 2010, while 39 paid under 10 percent.

Experts believe that fixing our corporate tax system would benefit Americans. Eliminating loopholes and deductions in return for lower rates would make it easier for corporations to forecast their taxes. In addition, businesses would become less leveraged because their incentive to take on debt would be reduced. They would also spend less on accountants and lawyers to reduce tax payments and more on productive ways to generate profits. Finally, lowering tax rates would keep many domestic businesses from going overseas while attracting foreign businesses to the U.S.