ScanSource's POS Efforts For The Small Biz

The solution, priced at about $1,500, combines peripherals and technologies that will help retailers with “multiple lanes but not multiple stores,” said Brent Busha, director of emerging technologies at the Greenville, S.C.-based company.

According to ScanSource, the bundle includes software from Microsoft, plus POS devices from Symbol Technologies and Epson. It also includes peripherals from ID Tech, which makes credit-card readers, and MMF Cash Drawer, which sells POS cash drawers.

Busha said the bundle, which he dubbed Checkout Pro, will include the requisite drivers and quick installation instructions to get a store up and running quickly.

The bundle is a demonstration of how ScanSource continues to set itself apart in the POS distribution world. Another example is a piece of technology called Virtual Technician, which it is piloting with some of its POS resellers, according to Paul Constantine, vice president of services at ScanSource.

The software, developed by local ISV Vigilix, Greenville, is a hosted offering that lets a reseller keep tabs on customers&' POS systems from afar, letting them check on store processes, basic system configuration, software issues and peripherals problems. The reseller can install an agent on the POS solution and then charge a monthly fee, Constantine said.

ScanSource is planning to use the remote monitoring tool, now being rolled out by several VARs, as a way to differentiate its POS offerings for smaller stores, he said.