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September 2010
Retail Systems Newsletter
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Welcome Busy has been the theme for J2 in recent times thanks to a full order book, the launch of new products and development commencing for future solutions. We have recently welcomed a number of key sites to the J2 user community including Divers Tavern in Broome, Dermalogica stores, Rod Laver Tennis Centre in Melbourne as well as the home of the highly successful Geelong AFL team, Skilled Stadium in Geelong. The commitment from some of these high profile sites is testament to the quality and performance that the J2 solutions are providing. Our research and development teams around the world have commenced the development of the next generation of J2 touch terminals and are interested to hear from our users and resellers as to what they would like to see in upcoming J2 products. There is already a commitment to investigate the inclusion of features such as powered USB ports, exploring the latest in touch screen technology, wide aspect ratio screens with full scaling on the screen, the use of i3 and i5 CPU’s, and further enhancement of motherboard accessibility for even easier servicing. If you have any suggestions as to what you would like to see in upcoming J2 products please don’t hesitate to email info@j2retailsystems.com.au or speak to any of the team at J2. We recently welcomed a new account manager, Janko Hrastovcak, to the J2 team. With over 5 years of experience in the POS industry, Janko understands the needs of POS resellers and users and so far has assisted us in expanding our sales as well as providing another port of call for sales enquiries for our customers. We thank our dedicated resellers and customers for their continuing commitment to J2 solutions and look forward to assisting you in the near future.
Yours sincerely
Phil Wild General Manager
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New office for J2 in the US. Following a growth period of J2 products in the US market, J2 have found a new, larger home. Located in Irvine, California, the new office provides a larger warehouse to allow for greater stock holdings, dedicated service areas and greater office areas and boardroom. The larger premises will support further expansion efforts in the US market.
Interactive second display now available. With the use of second customer displays growing, J2 have released a 12 inch touch display for use as an interactive second display. With an added option of an MSR, this second display allows for applications such as self service, order payment and loyalty club administration to be effectively offered. The display is compatible for use with the J2 580 and 615 ranges of products and will shortly be able to be used with the J2 650 series of touch terminals.
Powering printers from touch terminals Cutting down cables is always a challenge for POS providers. One way to do this is to replace the often cumbersome power supplies with peripherals being powered directly from the POS terminal. It may sound like an easy task but with the cost constraints and technical challenges to confront, some major research and development is required to achieve the task. POS terminal manufacturers have addressed the challenge by providing +24 volt printer ports but often peripherals, such as receipt printers, will draw more than the system can handle resulting in system crashes. The traditional fix to this problem has been to simply use larger power supplies. In doing so the cost of the terminal increases and heat issues arise within the terminal. J2 went back to the drawing board when developing, what has now become a class leading product, the J2 650. The aim was to effectively power printers without any performance or reliability concerns.
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before to fix the over current problems. This solution eliminates the chance of the computer crashing because the printer power port is drawing too much current. “This small challenge for J2, was actually technically very challenging despite known solutions used in laptop designs. The unique characteristics of POS touch terminals called for a smarter solution. The solution took us across the globe to find the path forward with the end result being a robust and reliable solution.”, said technical director Norman Campbell. Such challenges are regularly confronted by J2 in applying known technology to POS terminals with J2 achieving many firsts in the POS terminal industry including, a single motherboard design, use of high powered dual core processor technology, RAID HDD, built in UPS, solid state drives and intelligent power usage.
After extensive research and development, J2 utilised a function seen in many battery charger circuits used in notebook computers. Sounds simple but this technology had never been applied to a POS +24 volt power supply
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Why integrated touch terminals? A
t J2 we are often asked by retail and hospitality operators why a touch screen POS solution should be utilised versus the traditional PC box and monitor solutions. Initially the low costs of PC box and monitor solutions have kept touch screen solutions out of many retail and hospitality outlets but as the industry has matured the cost of integrated touch terminals has reduced opening the door for greater use. So what are the benefits of integrated touch terminals versus PC box and monitor solutions? Due to the unique operating environments in which POS terminals are utilised, the integrated touch terminal solution has provided features unimaginable in traditional solutions. Faster Operation & Improved Customer Service: It takes time for a cashier to grab a mouse or use a keyboard and coordinate it with what needs to be done or activated on the screen. With Touch Terminal operations it’s as simple as touching the screen and with faster input means better customer service in restaurants, hotels and retail stores and increases in customer loyalty. Ease of Use: Pointing and touching is an instinctive human gesture and you simply point at what you what. Some people, especially those that have little experience with computers, are not comfortable in using mouse and keyboards, however there is no hesitation when they can just touch a screen to input data. Touch Terminal applications are designed with clearly defined menus. The information on each screen is limited in number and options, thus providing step-by-step sequences to guide the user through complex procedures.
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Reduces Costs: Touch Terminal technology increases operator accuracy, reduces training time and improves overall operations efficiencies, thus keeping costs down. In POS, a well designed Touch Terminal application can improve accuracy while marinating a high checkout speed. With retail and hospitality businesses having a casual and high turnover of staff, reducing training time and costs is imperative. Touch Terminal technology is intuitive and requires no special skills to learn. Durable and Easy to Maintain: Touch Terminals are made of glass or a similar hard-coated surface. Screens are easily cleaned and are suited to environments such as restaurants, hotels and retail stores. J2 Touch Terminals can be used with a gloves which is suited for applications where hygiene is important due to workplace OHS. Pens, credit cards and long fingernails can also be used on Touch Terminals. Touch Terminals are also not affected by dirt, dust, grease or liquid droplets where a keyboard or mouse would be damaged and replacement required. Easy setup and space saving: Being an all in one unit, touch terminals are easy to install and maintain. As they sit on top of a desktop or can be mounted on a wall or pole, the need to find a shelf or cabinet for a traditional PC box is not required as well as the connection of extra cables between monitors and PC boxes. Furthermore, the compact design of J2 touch terminals save valuable counter space. It is no wonder the shift to touch terminal based POS solutions has occurred and with the purchase costs dropping as the marketplace develops the movement to touch terminals is destined to continue to grow. ď Ž
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J2 Wave Handheld touchscreen computer In busy hospitality outlets, saving time whilst maintaining customer service is imperative. The J2 Wave is a handheld touchscreen computer that is giving hospitality managers a solution to overcoming this business challenge. Featuring a large 4.3 inch resistive touchscreen, the J2 Wave is perfect for use as a mobile waiter pad. Its Bluetooth and WiFi 802.11b/g connectivity allows for seamless integration into POS systems keeping the order process flowing from floor to kitchen. Utilising SSID technology, the J2 Wave will roam to ensure that it is connected to the strongest access point to make sure there are no dropouts in communication. Thanks to intelligent power management, the J2 Wave provides 8 plus hours of use. The robust design is perfect for busy hospitality restaurants and will stand the test of time.
Key Features: > Xscale Processor PXA270 416MHz > 4.3� TFT LCD 480X272 16 bit color > Resistive Touch screen > Long Battery life, 8 Plus hours > Windows CE 6.0/5.0 > WiFi 802.11b/g > SSID Lock, Auto Room functions > Bluetooth WiFi Support > Optional 3 track MSR > 1 GB Flash ROM, 128MB SDRAMf-Service > Optional SD card > Auto Screen Rotate function
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J2 helps award winning coffee specialists Zarraffa’s Coffee be head and shoulders above the rest! Busy business with POS issues Established in 1996, Zarraffa’s Coffee is an Australian owned and operated organisation brewing speciality coffee and distributing award winning coffee beans through 43 stores across Queensland and New South Wales. Zarraffa’s Coffee’s POS operation is simple, they process each order at the front counter with food orders being automatically transferred to the kitchen where they are displayed on bump screens and orders removed upon completion. However, competing with power hungry, custom built POS software and the arduous demands of the daily operations of a cafe, Zarraffa’s Coffee required a POS hardware solution that was up to the challenge. Unfortunately Zarraffa’s Coffee suffered the consequences of their previous POS terminals not being up to the task with multiple terminals running slow due to the lack of processing power and reliability issues. At times this issue escalated to the point that terminals would overheat, resulting in operations slowing to a standstill and ultimately causing unnecessary stress on the sales clerks.
The problem was further exacerbated by the fact that Zarraffa’s Coffee were operating with multiple brands of POS terminals, making maintenance and repairs inefficient and costly. Furthermore, the POS terminals only came with a one year warranty offering little to no accountability after the first year. Between managing their 43 Coffee stores across two states and maintaining a philosophy of being “head and shoulders above the rest”, there is little room for error in any form, especially technical faults. Zarraffa’s Coffee required a POS hardware solution that could stand up to the physical environment, the demanding POS software and would have more than a single year to test the reliability. This is why Zarraffa’s Coffee sought out J2 Retail Systems. The J2 Solution Ideal for POS operations, Zarraffa’s Coffee have utilised the J2 650 for over the counter operations due to its raw power and rugged design. Boasting a high speed dual core processor and RAID functionality, the J2 650 has exceeded the demands of the intensive POS
“Having developed Zarraffa’s POS software I have trialled and tested multiple POS touch terminal solutions and nothing could provide the same grunt, flexibility, ease of use and ROI as J2’s hardware”. Zarraffa’s Coffee IT Manager, Robert Marsden
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software and the busy environment of Zarraffa’s Coffee. Furthermore, with a watertight seal and a resistive touch screen, Zarraffa’s Coffee knew that the J2 650 would have the ability to withstand spillages and minor bumps. The J2 580 offered Zarraffa’s Coffee a fanless, compact design and flexible mounting options, ideal for their kitchen bump screens. Whether mounted on a pole, wall or on the desk, the flexible VESA mounting capabilities coupled with its compact design meant Zarraffa’s Coffee could save much needed kitchen space. Additionally, the J2 580 features a fanless design which reduces the amount of dust and grime damage commonly found in the kitchen environment giving Zarraffa’s Coffee further peace of mind. Zarraffa’s Coffee knew that both the J2 touch terminals offered “easy to upgrade” functionality. With the need to upgrade due to their rapidly growing business, Zarraffa’s Coffee would have the ability to customise and upgrade terminals to suit their needs. The outcome of the Solution The major advantages that Zarraffa’s Coffee have gained from the J2 solution are reliability and efficiency. Since changing their POS terminals to J2 terminals, Zarraffa’s Coffee have experienced a remarkable increase in operating efficiency and have managed to reduce customer wait time. Additionally, without the fear of the touch terminals reducing their speed or overheating, sales clerks have noticeably been less stressed, allowing them to focus on customer service. Thanks to the compact design and the VESA mountability of the J2 touch terminals, Zarraffa’s Coffee has enjoyed additional space both at the front counter and in the kitchen. They have also benefited from the convenient location of the units, providing staff with a more ergonomic working environment and the customers a comprehensive purchasing experience. One of the most notable features for Zarraffa’s Coffee’s IT manager, Robert Marsden, was the technician friendly design. Boasting hot swappable drives and an easily accessible motherboard, Robert is now able to perform upgrades in store, reducing operation downtime to a matter of minutes. Over the past 12 months of operating the J2 touch terminals, Zarraffa’s Coffee have benefited from J2’s unbeatable low cost of ownership with no system slowdowns or overheating. Couple this with J2’s standard 3 year warranty; they have already started to see the incredible return on investment, making the J2 solution one of Zarraffa’s Coffee’s best decisions.
“Two main reasons made me go with Phil and J2. 1. The product is superior and 2. Phil and his team are proactive and responsive to the point that they manage to get back to me within an hour or so. Zarraffa’s Coffee IT Manager, Robert Marsden
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Road y r a d Boun 5 8 3 6, 83 SW 222 t i n N U dale t r o M 5222 4 8 5 02 9 50 825 9 Tel: 411 0 1500 : b 4 8 5 Mo 02 9 u om.a Fax: c . s tem ilsys a t e .j2r www
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