Cash
Registers and POS (Point of Sale) Devices that are Mobile and based on Tablets
such as the Apple iPad are set to be big in 2013 as evidenced from the article
“Square's
Next Move Might Be An Android Cash Register”, published
June 5, 2012, 5:22 PM by Owen Thomas, Business Insider and “Tablets
signal turning point for small-business POS solutions”,
published July 24, 2012 - 01:03 GMT (18:03 PDT) By Heather Clancy, ZDNet.
And
that means big business for Square in the future, a conclusion that can be
drawn from the positive forecast by Square’s COO Keith Rabois, as reported in “Square
COO predicts monster 2013, says Starbucks is just the beginning”,
published December 14, 2012 4:00 AM PST by Daniel Terdiman, CNET News.
Square’s
hit US$10 billion in yearly transactions, a milestone they achieved in November
2012 as stated in “Square
hits $10 billion in annual payments processed”, published
November 14, 2012 10:12 AM PST by Daniel Terdiman, CNET News.
Square now boasts 3 million users and 250,000 merchants utilizing Square
Wallet.
Albeit
more of a danger to Google Wallet and their NFC Based Technology that’s yet to
take off with the masses as noted back in May 2011 in my
blog
articles entitled “Google
Wallet & Offers vs Square & PayPal - SME's International FlashDance”,
they’re also potentially a competitor with Cash Register and POS Makers such as
Sony and SHARP Corp of Japan.
Square
began as the brainchild of Twitter founder Jack Dorsey as another App on the
Apple iPhone with a Credit/Debit Card swipe reader that makes taking payments
on the Go a cinch as explained in my blog
articles entitled “CLARO
and Square - The App of the Year 2010 and CLARO's Savior”.
Back then I’d seen the potential of Mobile Payments in Jamaica powered by CLARO
3G and thus penned the article above.
By
May 2011, Square had moved on with major endorsements by VISA via direct
investments and a place of honour in Apple Stores as one of the products it
sells as accessories to go with the Apple iPhone as reported in in my blog
articles entitled “VISA and Jack Dorsey's
Square - Leena's TechCrunch of SME's Mad Money”.
Now
they got Starbucks as a major partner using their Mobile POS Platform for all
7,000 of its outlet, also announced in August of 2012 as stated in “Square,
Starbucks aim to give mobile payments a jolt”, published
August 7, 2012 9:50 PM PDT by Steven Musil, CNET News. This deal was eventually finalized in November
2012 as per the article “Square
launches mobile payment service at 7,000 Starbucks”,
published November 7, 2012 10:30 PM PST by Steven Musil, CNET News,
the
highlight of 2012 for the two (2) year old start-up.
2013
looks to be another monster year of milestones, with major partnerships on the
horizon such as high-end clothing retailer Burberry as reported in the article
“Square
to ink payment-processing deal with Burberry - report”,
published December 12, 2012 6:56 AM PST by Don Reisinger, CNET News,
with other potential suitors and VC
(Venture Capitalists) lining up to invest in Square. IPO (Initial Public Offer)
by 2015, anyone?
This
is the same Square I’d predicted back in May 2011 would make Cash Registers
obsolete as prognosticated in in my blog
articles entitled “Square
and the Cash Register - SME Deep Impact”. This would be slowly
achieved via its Square app, Widget and its use of smartphones and Tablets as a
Mobile replacement for Cash Registers. A prediction I made long before I began
working at ACCENT marketing as a TES (Technical Engagement Specialist) on the
SHARP Account, on Monday June 25th 2012.
Come
Christmas day, I and my compadres from training will be employed for exactly
six (6) months on at ACCENT Marketing. We were all trained on the same legacy
products: Cash Registers, MFP (Multi-Function Copiers), Fax Machines and a motley crue of other products that’ll
eventually die away, such as Typewriters, Cordless Phones and Organizers.
But
I love Cash Registers and the job in general, as it involves an old flame from
my Glenmuir High School as described in my Geezam Blog
article entitled “IBM
and the Watson”: Computer Programming.
All
slowly being killed off by smartphones and Tablets as per my Geezam blog
article entitled “How
the Apple iPad killed Ultrabooks, Printing and the Mouse as the World
Rediscovers Tablets”. Microsoft has finally realized this;
that’s why they’re investing in their survival by outing the Surface Tablet as
stated in my blog
articles entitled “Microsoft
debuts Windows 8 with new Surface Tablets - PixelSense rebranding as the Dark
Knight Rises to defeat PC World”.
So
a Mobile Cash Register and POS Revolution’s on the Horizon from SHARP? I’d like
to think so; already POS Devices that are Windows based are under attack by a
Malware named Dexter, which oddly is targeting English speaking countries to
steal Credit Cards as stated in the article “New
'Dexter' malware strikes point-of-sale systems”,
published December 14, 2012 6:25 AM PST by Charlie Osborne, CNET News.
If
Hackers are taking the time to go after POS Devices, then it indicates their
value in terms on conducting transactions, as POS hacks are rare; I can’t
remember the last time I heard of malware or viruses targeting POS to steal
Credit Card numbers.
If
they’re that valuable in term of the transactions they facilitate, then it’s
clearly a growing area for SHARP and other Cash Register and POS makers, hence
the reason why Square’s products are targeting the extinction of Cash Registers.
SHARP Corp of Japan, with Qualcomm’s coming to their rescue as predicted in my blog
article entitled “Qualcomm,
Intel and Dell to invest in SHARP of Japan - The Rescuers need smartphones,
Tablets and Cash Registers”, needs to invest in the design of
better Cash Registers and POS and merge them into one common package.
Already
others are looking to invest in SHARP Corp of Japan and get access to its
low-cost, low-power cutting-edge Tablet and Smartphone components to make more
of the same. Apple iPhone 5’s are made using screen components supplied by
SHARP Corp of Japan as noted in my blog
article entitled “SHARP
and JDI making 5-inch 1080p Smartphone Screens - Here Comes the Boom as 1080p Screens, Quad-Core the next Big
Thing for Apple iPhone”.
Intel’s
allegedly planning to invest some 40 Billion yen ($500 million or £315 million)
in SHARP Corp of Japan as stated in the article “Sharp shares jump on
Intel investment report”, published 14 November 2012 Last
updated at 06:34 GMT, BBC
News.
So more investor centri News like this’ll start trickling in soon.
To
reiterate, their needs a clearly defined Roadmap for Smartphones, Tablets, with
the immediate rescue of Cash Register/POS being priority number one.
Recommended are the following specs:
1. Dockable
Capacitive Touch Screen Tablet with a screen keyboard layout emulating XEA106
up to XEA207, XEA407 or XEA507.
2. Screen
Removable at the end of the day to reduce tampering
3. Open
Source Google Android with Developer Support; Windows is Hacker prone
4. Wi-Fi
(IEEE 802.11n) Wireless Internet, Ethernet Port to support Networking
5. Remote
Sales Archiving Upgrade of their Customer Support Tools to allow for automated
backup of Sales and Programming Data
6. Ability
to work as a standalone Cash Register as well as integratable into a POS
Network via simple software update
7. Built-in
Remote Login Programming option enabled for Prime Registered customers, similar
to the AQUOS Advantage Program. Can login to each Cash Register or POS and
monitor transactions live
8. Login
to Cash Register based on either a password or biometric Identification based
System
9. Experienced
SHARP TES (Technical Engagement Specialists) Remote Login to the Cash Register
and program it for the Customer at their request
10. Browser
support for Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome to allow secure browsing for Online
Help Resources with Cash Register
11. Built
in support for NFC, UPC Scanner as well as Credit Card Reader
12. Synching
with SHARP branded Smartphones and Tablets as described in my blog
article entitled “SHARP
Launches the Aquos Pad SHT 21 sporting IGZO Technology - Paranormal Activity 4
Portable AQUOS TV, Cash Registers and Apple iPad 4”.
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