AURES SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2016
T UCH JE’M’APPELLE AURES TECHNOLOGIES The evolution of the revolution J2 becomes AURES
THE ONSITE SUPPORT ADVANTAGE
A GUIDE TO SELECTING THE RIGHT TABLET
AURES.COM
IT NEWS BUSINESS
WELCOME
Welcome to AURES Technologies! As you should be aware by now, J2 Retail Systems in Australia has been renamed AURES Technologies. The reasons for the name change is relatively simple. The J2 Retail Systems global business was purchased in 2013 by the French based organisation, the AURES Group. The long term plan was to integrate the J2 business into the AURES Group to have one united global business. Changing the J2 name is the most logical step if this goal is to be achieved. A name change gives us the challenge of ensuring all of our customers and the wider POS market are aware of our new brand, a challenge that we are using to revitalise our marketing push. Though the people you will deal with day to day are exactly the same as well as the products you purchase, this name change has sparked a reinvigorated marketing push to ensure we are keeping in touch with our customers and market as well as working with our customers that are expanding into new countries that can benefit from the AURES global network of offices for local support. In recent times, our industry has seen many mainstream manufacturers scale back their investments in point of sale technology, a trend that opposes that of AURES. AURES lives and breathes POS hardware. As it is our core business we have the ongoing commitment to continue our research and development programmes to continue to offer the best solutions in the world as well as invest in our local businesses to meet the expectations of our customers. AURES financial performance has been a standout in the industry, with our Australian operation one of the highest performing. What this means for our customers is that your investment in AURES hardware is safe. We have the ability to finance our business to support you now and well into the future with great products and the best standard of support possible. Once again, welcome to AURES Technologies and we look forward to continuing our service to you. Yours sincerely, Phil Wild Managing Director
NEWS
JE’M’ APPELLE AURES TECHNOLOGIES The new AURES Technologies brand has been launched with a touch of France. The Je’ m’ apelle AURES Technologies slogan is testament to the AURES roots in France. Translated to English this slogan simply means, “My name is AURES Technologies”. France is renowned as being a worldwide leader in style and design, something that is evident in the AURES range of products. Boring is something that the AURES range of products will never be called!
AURES TECHNOLOGIES GETS SOCIAL Social media is now becoming the preferred communication channel for many people and AURES Technologies is getting onboard. AURES Technologies has launched a new marketing focus for 2016 and a large part of the push is to utilise social media channels to keep our customers and broader market aware of AURES news and products. If you are social media savvy, we invite you to connect with us to stay up to speed with AURES Technologies via the following channels. Facebook: www.facebook.com/aurestechnologiesptyltd Twitter: www.twitter.com/Aures_Australia Instagram: www.instagram.com/aures_technologies_pty_ltd
AURES RECORDS STRONG Q4 RESULTS The strong sales performance of the AURES Group continues with its strongest growth of the year in Q4 2015, with a turnover of €21,944 K, up 41% compared to the same period in 2014 (+ 25% France, United Kingdom + 8%, Germany 35%, Australia 17% and USA 198%). The group grew revenue organically in 2015 by 20.3% with every region showing growth. In Australia, revenue grew by 26.3% in 2015 which helped contribute to the great global performance. Total revenue for the year was €76.8 million.
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SHOWCASE
YUNO upgraded to i3 processor The integrated touch terminal that has taken the retail and hospitality markets by storm has just received a power boost with the addition of an Intel i3 processor to the range. This latest i3 processor improves processing speed by approximately 90%. All other specifications remain the same including its fanless mode. The YUNO with i3 processor will begin shipping mid-March. Contact the team at AURES to find out more.
AURES powered USB/UPS hub The simplest way to tidy a POS installation is to reduce the number of cables. To do this you need to overcome the challenge of powering all your POS peripherals. The answer is simple with the AURES powered USB/UPS hub. Connect your peripherals directly to the hub that can be desktop mounted in a convenient location and it will provide both power and connectivity to your peripherals reducing your cabling requirements. The hub offers a range of powered USB ports including, 2x 5v, 1x 24v and 3x 12v ports. Available with a built in UPS, the hub can assist in the event of a power failure by kicking in to power your POS system for a short period of time and allow for safe shutdown of systems. This hub makes a great addition to terminals that may lack powered ports or the required ports for your peripheral needs. Easy to install, the AURES powered USB/UPS hub is available mid March. Contact AURES to find out more.
YUNO Touchscreen is on the way If you love the look of the YUNO integrated touch terminal but just need a touch monitor, then you’ll be excited to hear that the YUNO touchscreen is coming. Sharing the same styling as it’s full featured brother, the touchscreen offers reliable performance in a stylish slimline design. Featuring PCT touch technology and USB connectivity the YUNO touchscreen can easily breathe new life into an older POS system. Desktop, pole or wall mounting capable, the YUNO touchscreen can add a touch of style to your POS installation. Contact AURES to find out more.
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TECHNICAL
A guide to selecting the right tablet When the Apple iPad was launched on April 3, 2010, a revolution began. The age of the tablet had begun in earnest. Though the iPad was not the first tablet or handheld computer on the market, it was the first that managed to further drag the masses into a deeper state of mobility. It was not long before the hospitality and retail operators started to see the value of tablet style devices however the challenge of selecting the right solution for enterprise use has arisen. As with most things, with a bit of planning your choice of tablet will be successful and become a great asset to your operations.
waiter’s pad where the relatively simple task of collecting orders is required. A smaller device can be used than in a retail environment that may offer a mobile POS or customer service offering that requires more complex functionality.
Here are a few things to consider:
You may need your tablet to be held in one hand via a strap to provide you with greater mobility or be able to dock your tablet to use as a more traditional POS terminal.
Your environment The first question to ask yourself is can your business benefit from using tablets?
Take the time to analyse how you would use your tablet to determine the format your business needs.
The AURES experience has shown that hospitality environments have adopted tablets quicker than their retail cousins but the race is starting to hot up.
Battery Life Tablets are mobile devices so therefore rely on batteries to be powered. If you have long operating hours and heavy tablet usage, batteries can quickly be depleted if the incorrect solution has been chosen.
Retail and hospitality environments are considered to be rugged. Dust, grime, spills and heavy use are just some of the challenges a mobile device must withstand. It is for these reasons that consumer grade devices suitable for use in your living room are not up to the task of reliable use in rugged environments. Tablets that are dust and spill resistant, capable of withstanding multiple drops and built tough to withstand long operating hours is imperative. Format The format of your tablet needs to be considered? Do you need a small or big device that provides a larger screen to have more intuitive software interfaces? The general rule is that very defined and simple processes can benefit from a smaller device. A perfect example is a
The trade-off is that a larger battery will provide greater operating time but may make the device larger and heavier. A great solution is to have a replaceable battery that allows you to swap batteries as they are depleted. If tablets come with a cradle you can easily dock the device when not in use to keep the battery charged and still have the device easily accessible. Processing requirements Using tablets is all about convenience and speed. Therefore, it is imperative that you select a tablet device that performs at the level you require to keep your business rolling.
Advances in mobile processor chipsets are seeing high speed processing becoming a reality but be mindful that, more often than not, your tablet will be connected wirelessly to your network so it is also very important to ensure that your wireless networking infrastructure performs at a suitable level so to not hamper performance. Consider any additional functions to aid processing data including barcode scanner or magnetic stripe readers. Operating System It goes without saying that there is no use using a tablet that does not run the software you require. As most POS solutions have been developed to operate on Windows operating systems, many new tablets will operate Windows 8 allowing for easy adoption of tablets without the need for great programming changes. It is best to consult your solution provider to ensure that the operating system you purchase is suitable. Seek assistance Choosing the right tablet device may seem daunting but help can easily be sought. Consulting your software provider or the team at AURES can help steer you in the right direction. If you follow some of our helpful tips to determine your requirements, then you will be well on your way in ensuring you invest in the right tablet solutions for your needs.
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Th re e e vo vo lu lu tio tio n no ft he
FEATURE
JE’ M’ APPELLE AURES TECHNOLOGIES The decision to change the name of a globally recognised business is a big decision, one that the team at AURES were faced with when they purchased the J2 Retail Systems business. A big decision indeed but one that has been made and now implemented with J2 Retail Systems across the globe transitioning to the AURES brand. AURES may not be a household name down here in the southern hemisphere so we had a chat with AURES Technologies Australian Managing Director, Phil Wild to find out more about AURES as well as what this name change means.
Phil, can you tell us a bit about the AURES Group? Sure. AURES started in 1989, in France. It started as a very small company focussing on their own market and within the European region. The focus was in designing technology specific to the point of sale market. The philosophy from the start was to develop high quality, stylish technology, something they have kept at the core of the business 27 years later. They obviously had sights set high as they achieved great growth and then took AURES to the world. Yes. In 1999, AURES was listed on the Euronext stock exchange to position ourselves for growth. The first international office was opened in the UK in 2003 and 3 years later they opened our German subsidiary. We entered the US market in 2009. In 2013 AURES purchased the J2 Retail Systems business, what was the strategy behind the acquisition? J2 Retail Systems was always an interest for AURES as it shared a similar philosophy of designing high quality and performing POS technology. Their performance in the market was great and they had also expanded in areas that AURES operated in and in some markets were outperforming AURES. They wanted to continue expanding their reach and when the owners of J2 showed interest to sell the business and a deal was done. AURES solutions were traditionally not seen in the southern hemisphere but was the purchase of J2 Retail Systems a way for AURES to expand down here? Yes indeed. The performance of the Australian business has been exceptional and AURES was also looking at extending their reach so the purchase of J2 was a way of getting into the market in Australia and New Zealand. Since the integration of J2 into the AURES business how would you rate the results. The results speak for themselves. We have consistently grown the revenue of the AURES group business since bringing J2 onboard
with remarkable double digit growth rates. Our Australian office has always been a stand out performer which is testament to the great team we have. We couldn’t ask much more from our team who are just as committed as we are to see AURES become a global force in the POS technology sector. J2 always had a direct selling model, is this something AURES supports? Yes. AURES agrees with the strategy as it means that we are in control of our customer’s satisfaction. If one of our customers has a problem with a product they deal directly with us to solve it. As an example, under a distribution style of arrangement, a customer can buy a product form a reseller. If they have a problem with the product they take it to the retailer who then returns it to the distributor who then contacts the manufacturer to solve the problem. Our customers simply deal with us directly. Keeping our customers happy is at the core of our business model so we have a very strong reason to help them, more so than if you pass the problem to others to solve. Our customer’s problems are our problems as well so we work to solve them. We also believe that selling directly to our customers ensures we can offer the best pricing to our customers. So best product, with the best price, with the best support is our goal that can only be achieved through a direct model. Why the name change from J2 Retail Systems to AURES Technologies? It’s very simple really. AURES let J2 run under its own name for a period of time whilst the relationship settled. Changing business name involves a lot of work behind the scenes to make it happen from accounting systems to the more marketing, visual aspects of making the change. We had to put all the steps in place to make it happen and we still have a few more boxes to tick until we are fully transitioned. From a strategic perspective, AURES always wanted to fully integrate the J2 business and in doing so create a more connected organisation. Changing the name had to happen. It creates some efficiencies in our operation, especially from a marketing
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FEATURE perspective. For example, we now need one website rather than two, a project which we have already embarked on and will launch in the near future. What would you like to say to the J2 customers in Australia and New Zealand? Thank you. Thank you for your support and we invite you to be part of this evolution of both J2 and AURES. As the man in charge of the Australian and New Zealand AURES business, and also having been in the industry for near on 20 years, what are your thoughts on this name change? Having worked in the industry for a long period of time, I have seen many companies bought and sold and renamed. I believe that no matter what the company name may be, the main focus needs to be on delivering the best products with the best service. What this name change means for our customers is not much from day one really as we still will deliver the best products and the best service.
AURES is a bit different in that all we do is POS technology. So while other companies are reducing their research and development budgets and cutting back on their product range we are picking up the pieces as we can offer more choice to ensure customers can get the right solution for their needs. Our financial performance is testament to our effectiveness in bringing our business goals to life. In Australia alone we experienced a 25% increase in sales in our last quarter of trading. How do you think your customers view the AURES business? I think that across the board they are pretty happy. Our repeat business and longevity of relationship with our customers is very high. I think they see us as being a provider of reliable solutions and have been able to provide effective and responsive service. With the great growth rates you have experienced, what have been some of the major challenges? We started the J2 business from scratch in Australia so it has
“From my perspective I see this latest evolution as a great step forward for the AURES business and for our customers in the long run.” The products we offer are exactly the same. Our staff are exactly the same. Our office is exactly the same and most importantly our focus is the same. The logo on the front of the office may be different but the transition for our customers is relatively easy. Many of our customers were aware of the change and not one had any issue. From my perspective I see this latest evolution as a great step forward for the AURES business and for our customers in the long run. The merging of the business did not start and end with a name change but now our technical teams are working more closely as well as our global management team. What this means for our customers is that they will see the influence of the AURES style coming into more solutions as well as giving those customers who are expanding internationally with an organisation that can support them with the same products and service in their new markets. The POS technology sector is going through a number of changes. Some other players are reducing their focus in POS technology while others have simply gone out of business. What is your current view of the state of play in the industry? It definitely has been a time of change in the industry unlike anything I have experienced. As the world’s economies are struggling I think the flow on effects to large, diversified manufacturers is great. If you are a business that makes laptops, desktops, air conditioners, servers etc. as well as POS equipment you would have to make some decisions on which areas to focus your more limited budgets. As the POS sector is a relatively small part of the broader technology picture, it is often the first to get slashed. I think this is what we are seeing at the moment.
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been a hard slog to get where we are at. Our philosophy has not changed as we have grown and that is to provide a responsive service. We aim to have the flexibility of a small business with the products coming from a global leader. Our staff number shave increased, with the bulk of our workforce involved in staging and technical support. At the top level we have not changed much from day one. We don’t have a top heavy structure as we don’t believe this will help us achieve anything more. We will continue to invest in the areas of our business that gives our customers a direct benefit. What does the future hold for AURES Technologies in Australia and New Zealand? The future looks bright. At the moment we are one of the largest providers of touch terminals in Australia. The reliability of our products has been world class as has been the performance. The investment in research and development by the organisation is strong and we have many new products and range updates scheduled for launch in 2016. What you will see is a new sense of style in the design of the AURES products which are already considered to be amongst the best in the industry as our design teams work more closely on developing new products. We are making a more concerted effort to communicate with our customers beyond the usual sale or support calls through increased marketing efforts. We have launched our social media networks, will continue with our magazine as well as other
direct monthly communication. All in all, I think AURES is going places and those that benefit most will be our customers.
Top A lineup of J2 680 terminals being staged, ready for delivery to a customer site. Middle The AURES Technologies Australia warehouse expands over two conjoined spaces allowing plenty of room to house stock. Bottom left Inhouse technicians offers a local responsive repair and maintenance service. Bottom right Orders flow through the two warehouse spaces, passing by the staging and service area before delivery to the customers.
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EDUCATION
The onsite support
advantage In a world where finding the time to get all we need done is a constant battle, the demand to become more efficient by managing our time and effort is imperative.
build a solution best suited to keeping customers up and running as quickly as possible after a hardware issue has occurred.
Good time management comes down to choices. Where is your effort and time best spent to get the greatest reward?
The process can be summarised as follows:
We can place a value on all the efforts we make in business. That value may be qualitative or quantitative but either way the benefits must outweigh the costs in time or money. When it comes to keeping your retail technology investment working for you by minimising the downtimes and maximising the uptime, sometimes a helping hand is the most valuable solution.
AURES support receive a request for help. AURES staff evaluate the issue and troubleshoot problem. If the issue is unresolved it escalates to an onsite support technician. An onsite technician visits the site to resolve the issue. Technicians consults AURES support as required. A range of plans are offered with differing service level agreements allowing you to choose a plan that matches budgets and response times.
Ask yourself? How well would your business operate if you had inoperable IT hardware?
No matter which plan chosen, an experienced technician attends your site to try and resolve the issue. The onsite technician works closely with the AURES support team as required.
If your answer sways towards the, “it wouldn’t” realm then it is time to formulate contingency plans to ensure you can recover as efficiently as possible.
Why an onsite support plan? The answer is simple.
Now ask yourself, how quickly could you recover from a POS hardware failure if you had to solve the problem yourself? If your answer is, “very slowly” then the answer is simple. You need an onsite support plan. An onsite support plan in the POS hardware space can be viewed similar to a roadside assistance plan for your car. If your car breaks down, you can ring your assistance provider and they come to you to help. More often than not in the case of a vehicle roadside assistance request, the issue is a matter of inconvenience to you. With POS system issues it is not only a matter of inconvenience to you but your customers as well as a financial cost to your business. AURES works closely with onsite support providers to
An onsite support plan gives you cost effective access to technicians that can help you solve your IT hardware issues onsite. The decision to have an onsite support plan is one based on value. Calculating the value of the plan considers more than just the cost of the monthly support fees but other aspects including resource and time management of your staff as well as the expertise and capability of your business to respond in an effective and timely manner. Onsite support plans can encompass some or all your IT hardware including POS equipment, network infrastructure, digital signage and mobile computing technology providing an all-round support option. AURES can assist you in selecting the right onsite support plan for your needs. Give the team at AURES a call to find out more.
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Ph (02) 9584 5222 Email ausales@aures.com
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Every care has been taken in compiling the contacts of this newsletter, but we assume no responsibility for the effects arising therefrom. AURES Technology Pty Ltd do not accept any responsibility arising in any way (including negligence) for errors in, or omissions from, the information provided in TOUCH newsletter. All information was correct at the time of print.