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News Archive |
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Saturday, 24 April 2010
PORTSMOUTH, R.I. — As of today, the MontegoNet is now Self-Service Networks. Its new mission is to develop self-service solutions that maximize end-user utilization.
"We are not content to create self-service applications that merely work well. Utilization is everything," said Self-Service Networks president Thomas Smith. "As self-service experts, our goal is to ensure that every aspect of a self-service initiative is designed to drive usage, encourage adoption, and ensure repeat usage."
Significant investments in new personnel and training, closer alignment with proven industry partners and expanded software development capabilities will also come with this new initiative.
At the upcoming KioskCom's Self Service Expo, Self-Service Networks' solutions will be on display in partner booths, including 5Point (Booth #139), Comark Corporation (Booth #443), and Meridian Kiosks (Booth #613).
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Lanner offers a complete line of digital signage media players.
Monday, 19 October 2009
 Since 1997, Savant Ltd. has emerged as one of Virginia's elite consulting firms. We have built a world-class team of consultants whose experience encompasses network technology, security, operating systems and storage systems. This cross-disciplinary expertise helps us deliver enterprise infrastructures that possess the attributes and strengths a successful business requires.
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
 SITA is the world`s leading specialist in air transport communication and information technology (IT) solutions. Working closely with the air transport community, we innovate and develop IT applications and communication services across every aspect of the business.
Monday, 14 September 2009
 RedDotNet is an innovator and the leader in interactive, multimedia solutions that are changing the way retailers and suppliers connect with their customers.
RedDotNet develops, manufactures and manages end-to-end solutions for the retail environment. The RedDotNet solution includes:
- The Dot™, the company’s
flagship product
- Content Server, located in-store
- Network Operations Center (NOC), the virtual nerve center of the platform
Applications include a wide range of products, and there are currently 15,000+ Dots in over 800 stores in the United States.
RedDotNet has been at the forefront of interactive, multimedia technology since 2002. Strategic relationships include: All Music Guide (AMG) - leading business-to-business provider of entertainment, descriptive content and content management technology.
Tuesday, 01 September 2009
 AML (American Microsystems, Ltd.) was founded in 1983 to respond to a need in the Auto ID marketplace for high performance, easy to use, and cost-effective bar code and data collection products. Since 1983, AML and its business partners have helped companies worldwide to increase business efficiency and productivity - in manufacturing, warehousing, retail, health care, finance, government, and educational automatic data collection applications.
AML barcode and Auto ID data collection products are designed specifically for inventory tracking, supply chain management and bar code data processing applications. AML products include wireless handheld computers (with support for 802.11b LAN radio frequency as well as GSM/GPRS mobile computing), portable batch hand held terminals, programmable stationary terminals (for fixed station, wired, or wireless industrial data collection applications), vehicle mount terminals, wireless application design software, NiceLabel Pro and NiceLabel Express barcode label design software, and a broad selection of bar code scanners and readers (Laser, CCD, Wand, credit card readers, and card readers). All AML bar code and wireless data capture products are manufactured in the USA.
Monday, 31 August 2009
Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., Direct Source is a nationally-recognized voice and data network design, installation, integration and custom software development services provider, with an expanding network of more than 2,500 national specialists – including Registered Communications Distribution Designers (RCDDs). Our areas of expertise include tier one retail, retail banking and financial service organizations, warehouse and distribution centers, and corporate campuses.
Monday, 24 August 2009
 Network Advertising and Events is one of the leading firms in the State of Qatar, focusing on in-door media, special events and direct media. Established 2003 in Doha, Qatar providing services to the most reputable names in Qatar.
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
 AMCOR is an ISO 9001:2000 Certified Service Solutions Company that has been providing inventory management, depot repair, replacement parts and refurbishment services to maintenance organizations, OEM`s and end-users worldwide since 1986. AMCOR has three repair locations: our corporate office and test facility in Fairfield, NJ, a second repair center in Juarez, Mexico and a third in Czech Republic. We support a variety of products in the POS, general purpose computing and transportation industries that include component level repair, kiosks, printers, pc`s, touch screens, bill acceptors, coin dispensers and complex keyboards. Full details about our product line and services can be found at our web site at www.amcorss.com.
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Solid State Information Design is an independent communications consultancy that slots neatly between technology providers and procurers, working with one or both to achieve higher-impact, higher-value implementations. For organizations assessing out-of-home interactive systems we provide needs audits, research and customer experience design. Solid State also teams with providers to augment their strategic consulting capabilities or strengthen their market edge with branding, message design and sales support.
Monday, 15 June 2009
Reality Interactive is a full service digital merchandising solutions provider. We assist in all phases of projects with the ability to provide turnkey solutions including Defining Business Objectives, Interactive Design, Application Development, Deployment Planning, and Post-deployment Support.
Thursday, 21 May 2009
Unicomp’s POWERstation™ Kiosk is healthcare-specific, self-service kiosk software that enhances the patient registration process. Built upon a Windows platform, it offers compatibility with many kiosk vendor offerings. Key features include:
Integrates with most Practice Management or Electronic Medical Record systems via direct ODBC queries and updates or HL7 messaging.
Allows for new patient registrations and demographic and insurance changes for returning patients.
Support for touch screens, magnetic card stripe readers, card scanners, and electronic signature pads.
Automatically verifies insurance eligibility, patient address, and social security number. Enables compliance with the FTC’s Red Flag Rules legislation for medical identity theft.
Verbal instructions throughout provide for easy patient navigation. Verbal and screen prompts are customizable and available in multiple languages.
Processes credit card payments for co-payments, deductibles, and previous balances.
Allows patient signing of consent and treatment forms, privacy notices, etc. Automatically tracks forms required to be signed.
Functions as a stand-alone device or can coexist with POWERstation’s desktop software that enables registrar-assisted processing as well as monitoring the activity taking place at the kiosk.
For kiosk manufacturers that want to promote an integrated hardware/software solution to the healthcare industry, POWERstation’s kiosk software is available for private label branding.
Unicomp has specialized in developing cutting edge productivity software for the healthcare industry since 1979. Its products are used by more than 20,000 physicians in 35 states.
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
 Innovative Control Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of car wash and quick lube business management solutions. Providing solutions that assist automotive professionals with increased profitability by increasing customer satisfaction. Our software will improve processes in the wash tunnel and back office allowing for more efficient management. Our goal is to live up to our name by aggressively developing innovative products to meet the demands of a growing industry, keeping our customers competitive and increasing their bottom line.
Thursday, 02 April 2009
Superior Steel Fabrication, SSF, is a precision sheet metal job shop specializing in fabrication of cabinet assemblies and enclosures. We offer complete project manufacturing services in our 75,000 sq. ft. plant, including engineering support, Amada state of the art cutting, forming and welding equipment, powdercoat and final assembly services. SSF is an ISO 9001-2000 registered Company and can meet demanding production opportunities while maintaining a high level of quality control and compliance to Customer and Industry requirements. 541-242-6420
Wednesday, 01 April 2009
Southern Specialties is a privately owned company founded in 1952. Southern has grown from a small-job shop to a manufacturing corporation that does business throughout the U.S. and Canada and has become an industry leader in precision sheet metal design.Our company is still guided today with the same values that are responsible for our success—quality of work, innovative technology, unmatched integrity and commitment to our customers.
Southern Specialties is quickly emerging as a new leader in the design and manufacture of kiosks and digital signage.
Whether you need help with design, manufacturing, sourcing, or a complete turnkey operation, Southern Specialties is the one to call.
Friday, 13 March 2009
 In-Store Touchmedia, a division of In-Store Experience manufactures retail merchandise displays that incorporate eye-level digital signage and multimedia touchscreen systems.
Friday, 20 February 2009
 June 22-24, 2009 Shanghai Mart Exhibition Centre.
China Kiosk Show is the premier exhibition for self-service, kiosk and vending companies to expand their business in the Far East. Come meet with 120+ companies, 8000+ visitors and listed to 15+ speech presentations
Shanghai Int`l Digital Signage Show is the only exhibition dedicated to digital signage related products in Asia. Come meet with companies like: Honghe, Advantech, DT Research, Avedia, SeeYoo, ET Media, POP-Screen, General Touch, Aopen, Cayin Tech and IEI. Listen to speech presentations from Digital Signage Association, Advantech, Neo Advertising and Air Media.
Thursday, 19 February 2009
 Ecast is the leader in place-based interactive media. Our hospitality network delivers digital music, games, entertainment, information and interactive advertising to more than 10,000 bars and nightclubs across the United States. Leveraging the personal impact of touch combined with the interactivity and targeting of the Internet, Ecast brings unsurpassed consumer engagement to out-of-home markets and is redefining the way consumers are entertained, informed and engaged.
Friday, 30 January 2009
 VDC Research Group (VDC) is a technology market research and strategy consulting firm that advises clients in a number of technology markets including: automatic identification and data collection, embedded hardware and systems, embedded software and tools, industrial automation and control, mobile and wireless, and power conversion and control. Using rigorous primary research and analysis techniques, the firm helps its clients identify, plan for, and capitalize on current and emerging market opportunities. We strive to deliver exceptional value to our clients by leveraging the considerable technical, operational, educational and professional experience of our research and consulting staff.
Friday, 07 December 2007
Dayton (Ohio) Business Journal: NCR Corp. is looking to evolve in its core markets of finance and retail as well as break into new markets to grow the company post Teradata spin-off. Bill Nuti, chairman and chief executive officer, along with four other top executives gave a presentation to investors and analysts at the New York Stock Exchange Thursday detailing the company's new focus for growth. "I believe this is the right time for the company, subsequent from our spin-off of Teradata, to have more focuses," Nuti said. "We have the right vision to exploit and attract these new opportunities."
Read more
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
LOUISVILLE, Ky. · The (Gulfport, Miss.) Sun Herald reported earlier today that Triton Systems had laid off an undisclosed number of workers on Tuesday. Most, the Sun Herald reported, had been employed at the company's headquarters and manufacturing plant in Long Beach, Miss.
Human-resources director Brian Goff told the newspaper that the layoffs were part of a restructuring · the company's first in about eight years. Without giving exact numbers, he said the cuts affected less than one-third of the staff, and that the cutbacks were needed to help Triton focus on its core business in North America.
"Rather than chase business in other markets, we're going to focus on North America, the market that built this company," Goff was quoted as saying.
Triton repsonded with a statement, saying it "has implemented a plan to reposition itself for success by focusing on enhancing product offerings in our core financial and retail markets, domestically and in key international regions."
As part of that restructuring plan, Triton says it has consolidated its customer-service activities, including whole-unit and spare-part ordering to its corporate headquarters in Long Beach. Parts distribution, repairs, and training will continue to operate out of Memphis, Tenn.
"We believe the restructuring will allow us to have greater flexibility to work with our customers as we position ourselves for continued profitable growth in this highly competitive marketplace," said Triton president Brian Kett. "The steps we are taking to reposition Triton will insure that this remains our No. 1 priority."
Before Tuesday's layoffs, Triton had about 500 employees, some of them in Canada, Europe and Memphis, the Sun Herald reported.
Monday, 05 November 2007
Orlando Business Journal: Galvanon, has signed an agreement with two new customers for its online self-service system that offers services to patients from their home or office. Vanguard Urologic, one of its new clients, also will be using Galvanon's MediKiosk, a self-service check-in kiosk that allows patients to check in, confirm appointments, enter insurance information, sign forms and pay bills.
Read more
Monday, 29 October 2007
Manchester Evening News: Felix Group is hoping to make its presence felt on the high street with its MAX BOX vending kiosks. The kiosks enable customers to withdraw cash, process digital photographs, order flowers, top up their mobile phones and download music, ringtones and games to their handsets. Soon, consumers will be able to order hampers and e-books. Felix Group has installed 120 machines in cinemas, pubs, military bases and petrol station forecourts and has now secured a deal with T-Mobile to trial them in 18 high street stores, including Manchester's Market Street.
Read more
Friday, 26 October 2007
PADERBORN, Germany · Wincor Nixdorf International AG has ended its 2006/2007 fiscal year a 10-percent gain in net sales, the company reported this week.
The company extended EBITA to EUR 186 million (U.S. $266 million) up from EUR 161 million (U.S. $230 million). Net sales also increased, hitting EUR 2.15 million (U.S. $3 million) in FY '06/'07 from EUR 1.95 million (U.S. $2.79 million) last year.
Those results slightly exceed the company's recent growth forecasts, Wincor Nixdorf says.
"The fiscal year just ended underscores the overall solidity of our company," said Eckard Heidloff, Wincor Nixdorf's president and chief executive.
Heidloff said the growth was driven by strong gains outside Germany, as well as by solid business in the retail-banking segment.
The company's annual net income rose about 33 percent, hitting EUR 109 million (U.S. $155.8 million) from EUR 82 million (U.S. $117 million) last year.
For FY 2007/2008, Wincor Nixdorf expects an 8-percent growth in net sales and a 10-percent increase in EBITA. As was the case in the fiscal year just ended, growth is expected to come from markets outside Germany and from the company's activities in the retail-banking sector.
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
NORTHERN VIRGINIA — Gamut Systems has announced the launch of a new Web site, providing users with a comprehensive overview of Gamut Systems and the latest product line of Gamut Kiosks. It is designed to give visitors faster accessibility to helpful information about Gamut's four major lines of business: kiosks, stands, software and peripheral products including scanners and mobile hand-held computers. Included in this site is information on customers and partners as well as current newsworthy information.
"The new corporate Web site conveys all the relevant and important information our customers and prospects need today," said Peter Y. Nylund, founder and CEO. "This new design allows for true knowledge transfer of how our innovative products and solutions are making our customers more successful. Our new Web site is exciting and inviting, yet brief."
Gamut Systems also will be unveiling its Web site and Gamut Kiosks at the National Retail Federation in 2008 where it will be exhibiting for its fourth year. This new product is currently in production at two very large international companies.
Monday, 01 October 2007
Dayton (Ohio) Daily News: The official spin-off Monday of NCR Corp.'s moneymaking Teradata Data Warehousing Division is an invigorating time for Dayton and the company, said Bill Nuti, president and chief executive officer of NCR.
"We're quite proud of the fact that we have added another company to the S&P 500 · in Teradata · to the area," Nuti said.
NCR on Jan. 8 announced its planned third-quarter spin-off of Teradata, which NCR has owned since 1991 and watched become one of the world's leading enterprise data warehousing companies. Teradata Corp. common stock begins trading Monday on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol of TDC. NCR's common stock will continue to trade on the NYSE under the symbol NCR.
Read more
Thursday, 13 September 2007
GLENDALE, Calif. · FutureLogic Inc., a manufacturer of thermal ticket printers for cashless gaming, has announced it has launched a completely redesigned and enhanced Web site. Developed to help users find answers to questions quickly and easily, the new site includes major improvements in the areas of content, navigation and search functions.
"Because the Internet plays such an important role in our communication and customer service strategy, we've re-engineered our Web site to ensure that our key audiences can access crucial information faster and with greater ease than ever before,"� said Nick Micalizzi, vice president of sales and marketing for FutureLogic Inc.
The user-friendly interface lets users perform a text search on the entire site, and other enhanced features make it easier to navigate major Web site categories. Market-specific product information also is available to help site visitors narrow their searchs. Additional sections include a file exchange service, industry news, events and activities, and other timely information.
Monday, 10 September 2007
The Greensboro (N.C.) News and Record: The U.S. Postal Service wants its customers to handle their own postage - and is offering cash prizes to those who do. At post offices nationwide, customers will get a chance at $250 daily cash prizes and a grand prize of $10,000 when they use the Automatic Postal Center kiosks instead of the counter.
Read more
Tuesday, 28 August 2007
DAYTON, Ohio · NCR Corp.'s board of directors has approved a record and distribution date for the spin-off of its Teradata data-warehousing business.
The distribution of Teradata stock is begin Sunday, Sept. 30.
Teradata is expected to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "TDC."
"We have been diligently preparing for the strategic separation over the past several months and are very pleased to have reached this important point in the process," said Bill Nuti, president and chief executive of NCR. He said NCR looks "forward to launching two new technology companies for the benefit of our customers, business partners, employees and shareholders."
"Regular-way" trading of Teradata stock is expected to begin on the first trading day following the Oct. 1 distribution date.
Thursday, 16 August 2007
NORTH CANTON, Ohio · Diebold Inc. has announced plans to create a new structure for its election-systems subsidiary that will allow it to operate more independently, since efforts to sell the subsidiary have been unsuccessful.
The company said Aug. 16 that it is revising its full-year revenue expectations associated with the elections business.
"As a result of the rapidly changing political environment and pending legislative initiatives related to electronic voting, several large anticipated orders for electronic voting systems have moved from 2007 into 2008 and beyond,"� Diebold said in a statement. "Competing federal legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, both related to the use of specific elections technologies, has created uncertainty amongst the jurisdictions that make purchasing decisions. In addition, several states have initiated separate, independent reviews of voting technology within their jurisdictions."
The company is lowering its full-year revenue expectations for the elections business by approximately $120 million. Diebold estimates the revenue adjustment will adversely impact its full-year earnings per share by approximately 27 cents. Previous full-year guidance for the business had been between $185 million and $215 million.
Because of the regulatory flux surrounding elections systems, Diebold says it has postponed efforts to divest the company.
Diebold Elections Systems will have a separate board and a new management. Dave Byrd is expected to remain president of the elections-systems business. A formal name change also is expected.
Diebold also says it has not ruled out the possibility of divesting a portion or all of its ownership in the realigned elections company.
"Given our concerted evaluation of all strategic alternatives available to us at this time, this is the most appropriate course of action for Diebold and all its stakeholders," said Thomas W. Swidarski, Diebold's president and chief executive. "While we plan to fully support this business for the foreseeable future, we feel a more independent structure should allow it to operate more effectively. Establishing the elections business as a separate entity will also allow our senior management team to fully focus our efforts on Diebold 's core global businesses in financial self-service and security."
Wednesday, 08 August 2007
BEAVERTON, Ore. - Planar Systems Inc. recorded sales of $68.2 million and a GAAP loss per share of $0.24 in the third quarter, which ended June 29, 2007.
"During our third quarter we made some significant progress in pursuit of our strategic goal to transform Planar into a growing specialty display product supplier," said Gerry Perkel, Planar's president and CEO.
Industrial segment sales in the third fiscal quarter were $14.8 million, up five percent sequentially and down 28 percent compared with the third quarter of fiscal 2006. The company has been investing in additional product development, sales and marketing resources to seek out and capture new design wins to slow the decline and ultimately begin to grow sales in this segment.
The third quarter of 2007 represented the first sequential revenue growth in more than a year. The company expects sequential growth to continue in the fourth fiscal quarter and for the full fiscal year in 2008 as sales associated with new design wins increase.
Sales in the Planar's Commercial segment were $19.1 million, up 11 percent sequentially and up 6 percent versus the third quarter a year ago. The increase was due to sales in new product categories including touch monitors and business projectors reflecting the company's strategic shift to higher-margin products in this segment.
In the short term, Planar's expectations for the fourth quarter, ending September 28, 2007, are for sales of $75 million to $79 million and non-GAAP net loss per share of $0.05 to $0.00.
Wednesday, 01 August 2007
DAYTON, Ohio · NCR Corp. reported revenue of $1.61 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2007.
NCR reported second-quarter net income of $98 million, 54 cents per share.
"It's an exciting time at NCR," said Bill Nuti, NCR's president and chief executive. "We delivered our third consecutive quarter of 5 percent revenue growth and improved business results, while continuing to work diligently toward a successful strategic separation of NCR into two separate companies, NCR and Teradata."
NCR says it continues to work toward a plan to complete the Teradata spin-off, which is expected to be complete by the end of the third quarter. NCR announced plans to separate the two companies in January.
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
MELVILLE, N.Y. · Arrow Electronics Inc. reported second quarter 2007 net income of $99.2 million on sales of $4.04 billion, compared with net income of $92.8 million on sales of $3.44 billion in the second quarter of 2006. Sales increased 17 percent year over year.
"We have made strong strategic moves over the last 18 months that have resulted in a more diverse revenue stream, a broader geographic footprint and increased opportunities in fast-growing product segments," said William E. Mitchell, chairman, president and chief executive.
During the second quarter, Arrow recorded a net restructuring charge of $2.9 million ($2 million net of related taxes or 2 cents per share). The comapny said the charge related to initiatives to improve operating efficiencies. The company also recorded an integration charge of $.5 million related to the acquisition of KeyLink.
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
PADERBORN, Germany · Wincor Nixdorf International AG says it expects its annual outlook, announced at the beginning of the year for fiscal year 2006/2007, to be on target.
The company said its net sales rose by 12 percent during the first nine months of the year, from €1.4 million (U.S. $1.9 million) to €1.6 million (U.S. $2.2 million). Consolidated net sales for just the third quarter rose 5 percent from the third quarter of FY 2005/2006.
Profit for the period jumped 29 percent, from €59 million (U.S. $81.5 million) to €76 million (U.S. $105 million).
"We are confident that our upgraded forecast for the full annual period will be met,"� said president and chief executive Eckard Heidloff. "We anticipate that revenue will grow by 9 percent and EBITA by 15 percent."
Growth in Europe, Asia and Americas
Wincor Nixdorf's growth in net sales was driven by dynamic business growth in Europe. In Germany, net sales rose by 8 percent, contributing 27 percent to the company's overall net sales.
In Europe · excluding Germany, which at 54 percent remains the company's greatest region for revenue · net sales increased 15 percent from the first three months of FY '05/'06. During 3Q, net sales in Europe jumped 11 percent.
Calculated on the basis of U.S. dollars, net sales in Asia-Pacific and Africa for the first nine months increased 20 percent when compared with the same period last year. In terms of euros, the increase was only 11 percent. The region contributed 12 percent to the company's total net sales.
Business in the Americas improved from last year, but some projections have not been met. Net sales for the first nine months improved 10 percent in terms of the U.S. dollar and only 2 percent in terms of the euro. Overall, the Americas accounted for 7 percent of overall net sales, a drop from the 19 percent the region contributed a year ago.
The banking segment increased its net sales by 17 percent during the first nine months, with growth driven by large-scale rollouts in the United Kingdom, Italy and Eastern Europe.
Net sales for the retail segment increased 3 percent for the first nine months.
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
NORTH CANTON, Ohio · Diebold Inc. is delaying the release of its second quarter earnings. The earnings originally were expected to be announced July 31.
The company says the delay relates to Diebold's practice of recognizing certain revenue on a "bill and hold" basis within its North American business. In connection with questions that have come up during the ongoing formal investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Diebold has decided to proactively seek guidance from the SEC.
Diebold says it expects to issue its 2Q earnings results as soon as possible following a response from the SEC.
Diebold says it also may delay filing of its quarterly report, depending on the timing of the response. The regular deadline for that filing is Aug. 9.
Friday, 22 June 2007
BURNABY, British Columbia · TIO Networks Corp., owner of a North American automated bill payment and financial services network, announced financial results for the third quarter that ended April 30, 2007.
Total recurring revenue for the quarter including transaction services and maintenance/licensing services revenue, increased 37 percent and accounted for $3,355,835 or 92 percent of total revenue, compared to $2,442,746 or 94 percent for the quarter ended April 30, 2006.
Quarterly revenue increased 40 percent to $3,639,693, from $2,606,949 one year ago. EBITDA loss for the period was ($146,000) compared to a loss of ($380,000) one year ago. Net income was a loss of $1,119,695 compared to a loss of $880,588 one year ago. Contributing to the financial results for Q3 were:
- Amortization of property and equipment of $597,269, compared with $315,278 in Q3 2006
- Interest expenses of $235,135 compared to $138,500 in Q3 2006
- Research and Development expenses of $192,656 compared to $131,977 in Q3 2006
- Foreign exchange loss of $113,938 compared to a loss of $5,952 in Q3 2006
- Severance payment to a departed officer of the company in the amount of $60,000.
Tuesday, 19 June 2007
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two robust wireless networks serving 53.6 million customers at the end of the first quarter 2007
Monday, 14 May 2007
SAN FRANCISCO · Red Herring announced that Experticity is a recipient of Red Herring 100 Spring, an award given to the top 100 private technology companies based in North America.
"Having received more than 800 submissions, it is clear that we are witnessing a new outburst of creativity." says Joel Dreyfuss, editor-in-chief of Red Herring. "With venture capital flowing again, it's exciting to see technology innovators and business investors collaborate to create disruptive technologies. The Red Herring 100 North America companies are impressive up-and-comers, and definitely the ones to watch."
Wednesday, 09 May 2007
BEAVERTON, Ore. - Planar Systems Inc. recorded sales of $54.6 million for the second quarter of fiscal year 2006/2007.
Sales of the company's Control Room and Signage segment, formerly Clarity Visual Systems, hit $12.1 million, a 36 percent drop from the same period last year. The company said sales in the Control Room segment were negatively impacted by delays in expected customer orders and delivery schedules.
Monday, 30 April 2007
Electronic Systems Services, Inc. is a single source technology provider of hardware installation, cabling, site surveys, on-site service, preventative maintenance, hardware procurement, staging, depot repair and parts and supplies for the restaurant, hospitality and retail industry.
At ESS, our focus is on your bottom line. We`re not just selling POS service and products - we`re selling hard dollar savings, peace of mind, and flexibility in industry`s where downtime means lost efficiency, lost revenue and lost customers. We maximize system performance and uptime - offering a complete solution to thousands of customers across the country.
Our staff provides the POS related skills and services that are vital to the success of our clients, but not strategic for our clients to possess. By providing a high level of consistent, reliable service and support, we allow our clients to focus their effort on their own talents. Where others simply talk about it, ESS does it.
Thursday, 26 April 2007
Since 1775, the United States Postal Service and its predecessor, the Post Office Department, have connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. An independent federal agency that visits more than 144 million homes and businesses every day, the Postal Service is the only service provider delivering to every address in the nation. It receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of $70 billion, it is the world`s leading provider of mailing and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The U.S. Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world`s mail volume-some 212 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year-and serves ten million customers each day at its 37,000 retail locations nationwide.
Wednesday, 25 April 2007
ROANOKE, Va. · IntelliMat announced that it will change its go-to-market brand to LevelVision to reflect its digital media strategy and its diversity of digital media solutions.
"Our extensive patent portfolio covers digital media displays for use on level surfaces and the name LevelVision communicates this distinction," said Jim Currie, company president and chief executive. "LevelVision represents our intended evolution to a media company."
The company, which holds 19 U.S. and foreign patents for digital solutions on level surfaces such as floors and counters, also announced two new media products, CounterVision and IntelliMat. CounterVision is a smaller, countertop version of the company's IntelliMat digital floor display.
"Our displays communicate the right advertising messages at the right time and at the right location, where 75 percent of decisions are made," said Currie. "We bring advertising and information to the precise location where and when it can be most effective."
Friday, 20 April 2007
MELVILLE, N.Y. · FORTUNE has named Arrow Electronics Inc. number 179 on its annual ranking of America's 500 largest corporations. Arrow increased its placement on this year's list by 30 positions, up from its 2006 ranking of 209.
"Our significant revenue growth clearly demonstrates the effectiveness and momentum of our growth strategies worldwide. This growth is the result of the many contributions and dedication of our more than 12, 000 employees, who deliver value each and every day to our customers and suppliers," said William E. Mitchell, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Arrow Electronics.
The FORTUNE 500 includes U.S.-based companies filing financial statements with a government agency and ranks those companies by revenue. The list includes company profiles containing the following information: revenues, profits, assets, stockholders' equity, market value, earnings per share, total return to investors, medians and credits.
Friday, 30 March 2007
Burnaby, Canada · TIO Networks Corp. announced the activation of its 2000th location.
TIO Express, the company's clerk assisted payment program has contributed to the aggressive expansion of TIO locations due to its cost effective deployment model and rapid absorption among a number of TIO's clients. TIO Express enables location partners to cost effectively leverage TIO's real time Internet-based bill payment processing gateway and accept payment for time sensitive services.
"Considering it took the company over four years to reach its 1000th location milestone, we are very pleased with having reached our 2000 location milestone in just a few additional months," said Hamed Shahbazi, chairman and CEO of TIO Networks Corp.
TIO is actively deploying to new locations and expanding existing territories through TIO Networks and third-party funded self-serve kiosks and hybrid ATM devices.
Friday, 16 March 2007
ST. LOUIS, Mo. · idX Corporation, a provider of store fixtures, logistics and project management for the retail, hospitality and financial markets, is launching idX London.
The new branch is a joint marketing venture between idX and its long-time U.K. fixture manufacturing partner, Leicester-based Clements Retail Innovations. Alister Comrie will lead the initiative as idX director of global development, Europe.
"It's rare in the current business climate to find a retail fixture company growing at the phenomenal rate of idX," said Comrie. "I look forward to carrying this success across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa."
idX's first global venture began 18 months ago with the opening of its Shanghai office. The office provides a one-stop shop for retailers looking to open stores in Asia. According to idX, their London location will help clients in Europe or entering European markets to reap the same benefits.
Friday, 23 February 2007
Cambridge, Mass. · Fusion Optix Inc. announced that its chief executive, Terry Yeo, has been called to be session chair for a meeting of top officials from leading companies in the display industry, such as Eastman Kodak and Merck.
On Wednesday, Febr. 28, 2007, Dr. Yeo will head the session discussion centering on "Analysis of FPD Materials Technology Trend" at the DisplayBank FPD Materials Conference at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York. Topics will include trends in optical film technology, liquid crystal development and LED advancements. The conference will revolve around the profitability of the players in the industry. Expansion of the market has fallen by the wayside while LCD manufacturers have been pushing to increase individual profits.
Materials science is a core capability of Fusion Optix, with a technology department that includes materials experts, as well as strong ties to MIT's Materials Science Division. Yeo said, "This is a great opportunity to hear what is new in FPD materials, directly from big players in the industry. I am delighted that DisplayBank thought of Fusion Optix when looking for a session chair."
Dr. Yeo also has been invited to present at the USDC Displays and Emerging Electronics Investment Conference on the following day at the same venue.
Friday, 23 February 2007
Alliacense is a TPL Group Enterprise executing best-in-class design and implementation of intellectual property licensing programs. As a cadre of IP licensing strategists, experienced business development and project management executives, and technology experts, Alliacense focuses on expanding the awareness and value of TPL's intellectual property portfolios.
Wednesday, 25 October 2006
BURNABY, British Columbia · TIO Networks Corp. announced the deployment of 27 self-serve automated kiosks in Cincinnati, Lexington. Ky., and Louisville, Ky.
With these new deployments, TIO Networks has surpassed the milestone of more than 1,000 deployed kiosks in partnership with tier-1 convenience-store chains and wireless retail outlets in 29 states.
The touchscreen, cash-accepting and authenticating kiosks enable cash-paying customers to pay their wireless, utility, cable and other bills in real-time by inserting the cash directly into the terminal. Transactions are securely completed and payments are posted with time-sensitive urgency to the customer's account. Customers have the option to print and/or e-mail their receipt.
In addition, the company has signed up more than 200 locations in the past 60 days to participate in "TIO Express," its clerk-assisted payment program. These locations offer patrons real-time bill payment services by leveraging TIO's Web processing client. The "TIO Express" program combines the convenience of in-person customer service with real-time posting to personal accounts.
"Breaking the 1,000 kiosk mark gives TIO the critical mass to be truly recognized as a national network," said Hamed Shahbazi, chairman and chief executive of TIO Networks. "This achievement along with the rapid growth in TIO Express is garnering great enthusiasm among consumers and our deployment partners. TIO will continue to pursue a disciplined but aggressive network expansion of its TIO services by leveraging its growing distribution options."
Friday, 13 October 2006
BRANFORD, Conn. -- Netkey Inc. has been named to Deloitte & Touche's Technology Fast 50 Program for the Connecticut region, a ranking by Deloitte & Touche USA LLP of the 50 fastest-growing technology companies in the area. Rankings are based on the percentage revenue growth over five years from 2001—2005.
"We're pleased to be recognized by Deloitte for the third year," said V. Miller Newton, chief executive of Netkey. "This honor validates Netkey's mission of providing businesses worldwide with the software and services they need to deliver successful kiosk and digital-merchandising initiatives. We attribute our success to the hard work of our employees and the support of our customers, investors and partners."
The average revenue increase among companies that made the Connecticut list was 51 percent.
To qualify companies must have had operating revenue of at least $50,000 in 2001 and $5,000,000 in 2005, be headquartered in Connecticut, and be a company that owns proprietary technology or proprietary intellectual property that contributes to a significant portion of the company's operating revenue. Companies also may devote significant proportions of their revenue to technology research and development.
"We applaud the successes of Netkey and acknowledge it as one of the very few to accomplish such a fast growth rate over the past five years," ," said Alex Discepolo, a director at Deloitte Tax LLP and chairperson of the Connecticut Technology Fast 50.
Winners of the 16 regional Technology Fast 50 programs in the United States and Canada are eligible to be entered into the Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 program, which ranks North America's top 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications and life sciences.
Tuesday, 15 August 2006
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. · Global Axcess Corp. reported increases in revenue and profit for the second quarter of 2006, which ended June 30. Revenue from continuing operations hit $5.5 million, up 10 percent from the $5 million during the same period last year. Profit from continuing operations came in at $2.4 million, up 20 percent from $2 million last year.
The company attributed the increases to an increased number of transacting ATMs acquired in 2005.
But GAXC continued to operate at a net loss, a trend that has spiraled downward since the second quarter of 2005, when the company reported net losses of $42,084. For 2Q '06, GAXC reported a net loss of $373,100, negative 2 cents per share, about eight times greater than losses reported last year.
Contributing to the loss were increased operating and one-time expenses, the company said.
"While we are pleased with our revenue growth, we continue to focus on returning to profitability," said Michael Dodak, GAXC's chief executive. "Further, we continue to review strategic alternatives for the company with our advisors at Raymond James."
Operating expenses increased to $2.5 million for the second quarter, up from the $1.6 million for the same period of 2005. And GAXC incurred non-recurring and one-time expenses · legal fees associated with litigation, increased professional fees associated with 2005 financial restatements as well as an increase in bad debt reserves · of $280,000 during the quarter. Excluding those non-recurring and one-time expenses, the net loss would have been $93,100.
Wednesday, 12 July 2006
July 11, 2006 -- Planar Systems, a worldwide leader in flat-panel display systems, announced today that it plans to issue its third quarter earnings announcement on July 19, 2006. Results for the quarter are scheduled to be disclosed in a press release on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 at 9:00 a.m. EST, followed by a conference call at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Chief Executive Officer and President Gerry Perkel and Chief Financial Officer Scott Hildebrandt will conduct the call.
An audio feed of the conference call will be accessible through a link in the investor information section of the company's Web site, www.planar.com, or through numerous investor-oriented Web sites. A replay of the Web cast will be available through August 19, 2006, and a transcript of the management commentary portion of the call will be posted on the Planar Web site.
Monday, 05 June 2006
Irvine, Calif. — Worldlink Integration Group Inc., a national provider of technology deployment services, today announced the addition of two new office locations. In addition to their national headquarters and staging center in Southern California, Worldlink now has additional locations in the Phoenix and Minneapolis metro areas. These additions are the first in a long-term strategy to regionally staff project managers with a goal of constantly making the customer experience with Worldlink as intimate as possible.
"As we continue to achieve and surpass our growth targets, we will naturally expand our portfolio of regional and national clients," said David R. Clarke, Worldlink's president and CFO. "We will continue to localize our senior project management functions to maximize the level of communication and service our clients receive from us."
Monday, 22 May 2006
AUSTIN, Tex. ·Wincor Nixdorf, one of the world's leading suppliers of IT solutions for the banking and retail industries, has sold one million point-of-sale (POS) systems with Intel technology. The popularity of Wincor's BEETLE POS platform has helped fuel Wincor Nixdorf's rapid rise to become the third largest provider of retail solutions worldwide.
"Wincor Nixdorf is proud to observe this milestone," said Doug Evans, vice president of retail, Wincor Nixdorf USA. "The BEETLE's strong acceptance is helping Wincor Nixdorf USA drive total solutions that encompass hardware, software, and services. We now offer even greater value to our customers as one of the few retail vendors able to deliver such a complete range of solutions."
Wincor Nixdorf introduced the retail industry's first computerized cash register in 1973 — the predecessor to today's BEETLEs. The BEETLE family includes a full range of powerful, retail-hardened models, built upon a common technology platform that drives down the total cost of ownership. The BEETLE architecture greatly simplifies software deployment and hardware maintenance, providing significant savings throughout the store system lifecycle.
Wednesday, 17 May 2006
PHOENIX, Ariz. — Slabb Corp is pleased to announce that Robert Giblett has joined its executive management team as Vice President of Global Sales.
"There are very few individuals in the world that understand the complexities of self-service technologies," said Cy Birg, CEO and Founder of Slabb Corp from his office in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, "As one of the few, Robert brings with him an unparalleled knowledge of the industry along with the ability to effectively communicate self-service benefits and opportunities to Slabb's customers."
"I am very excited to join this great company," said Giblett, "Slabb presents a value proposition that no other company in the industry offers and I am honored to contribute to Slabb's continued acceleration."
Prior to joining Slabb Corp, Robert served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for King Products & Solutions Inc., founded several companies in the self-service and telephony industries, and was involved in bringing next-generation VoIP technologies into the Canadian market.
Mr. Giblett will be responsible for orchestrating all Slabb sales efforts worldwide.
Monday, 01 May 2006
MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The North American Components (NAC) business of Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW) announced today it has formed a new group dedicated to serving the needs of manufacturers in the industrial market.
Leveraging a growth opportunity for Arrow and its suppliers, the Industrial Group has strengthened Arrow's industrial market expertise with dedicated sales, service and management teams who bring decades of industry experience, enabling the company to meet the specific electrical requirements of customers. The Industrial Group serves original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), which design industrial equipment using electrical components. It also offers products and services for facilities maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) within manufacturing companies, which use replacement components to service industrial equipment at their factories.
"Industrial customers purchase from a highly fragmented supply chain today, so they haven't had access to such a broad product line or value-added services from a single source," said Colin Boyd, general manager, Arrow Advantage, who oversees the Industrial Group. "Customers will benefit from one-stop shopping through Arrow, along with our supply chain services like online ordering tools that integrate with customers' material planning and scheduling programs."
Arrow's offerings for industrial customers include passive, electromechanical and connectors (PEMCO) targeted for the electrical marketplace for industrial environment uses such as circuit protection, frequency control and thermal management. Arrow has a franchised relationship with over 200 suppliers, and stocks over 334,000 items for the industrial market.
Arrow's proven supply chain services include integrated supply, in-plant stores that offer components onsite for equipment maintenance and repair, consignment and vendor managed inventory. Arrow's Industrial Group provides technical support for a customer's product design, coupled with third-party resources from Arrow Consulting and Engineering Services (ACES) and integration partners.
About the North American Components group of Arrow Electronics
The North American Components (NAC) group of Arrow Electronics, Inc. is a leading provider of semiconductors and passive, electromechanical, and connector products, services, and supply chain solutions tailored to serve distinct customer segments with dedicated sales teams. Three primary, customer-focused NAC groups serve these market segments: The Arrow/Zeus Electronics Group targets the aerospace and military markets; the Arrow Electronics Components Group serves local OEM and contract manufacturing customers; and the Arrow Alliance Group focuses on large customers with complex needs.
Arrow Electronics, Inc. is a major global provider of products, services, and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and computer products.
CONTACT: Arrow Electronics, Inc.
Ann Shiveley, 303-824-3762
SOURCE: Arrow Electronics, Inc.
Friday, 28 April 2006
NASHUA, N.H., - Nashua Corporation (NASDAQ: NSHA), a manufacturer and marketer of labels and thermal specialty papers, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2006.
Net sales for the first quarter of 2006 were $64.8 million, compared to $67.6 million for the first quarter of 2005. Gross margin for the first quarter of 2006 was $9.8 million, or 15.1%, compared to $10.4 million, or 15.5%, for the first quarter of 2005. Nashua reported a pre-tax loss from continuing operations of $0.9 million in the first quarter of 2006 compared to a pre-tax loss from continuing operations of $0.7 million in the first quarter of 2005. The net loss from continuing operations was $0.6 million, or $0.09 per share, for the first quarter of 2006, compared to a net loss of $0.4 million, or $0.07 per share, for the first quarter of 2005. Net income from discontinued operations was $1.0 million for the first quarter of 2006 compared to a net loss of $1.2 million for the first quarter of 2005. Net income for the first quarter of 2006 was $0.4 million, or $0.07 per share, compared to a net loss $1.6 million, or $0.27 per share, for the first quarter of 2005.
Pre-tax income from continuing operations in the first quarter of 2006 included severance cost of $0.7 million. The severance was comprised of personnel reductions due to the Label Products segment plant consolidation project, exit of the coated carbonless product line and a reduction in workforce in the dot matrix ribbon distribution product line in the Specialty Paper Products segment. In addition, the first quarter results reflect incremental pension cost of $0.5 million related to the application of a lower discount rate (5.5%) and updated mortality tables in the computation of pension expense as of December 31, 2005, as prescribed under accounting guidelines. Pre-tax income from continuing operations for the first quarter of 2005 included a $0.6 million charge for severance related to corporate and Specialty Paper Products segment headcount reductions.
Discontinued operations net income of $1.0 million in the first quarter of 2006 included $0.7 million of income from the toner and developer business operations and asset sale, and a gain of $0.3 million related to the liquidation of an inactive foreign subsidiary. Discontinued operations for the first quarter of 2005 included the loss of $1.2 million from operations of the toner and developer business, including severance and pension curtailment cost associated with the exit of the business.
Andrew Albert, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nashua Corporation said, "While we continue to make good progress aligning our business with demand and with our program to generate cash, top line growth and margin improvement in the Label and Specialty Paper segments did not meet our expectations. Margins, while relatively flat on a percentage basis, were also negatively impacted by the severance and pension expenses. Management is focused on top line sales momentum and margin improvement as the critical operating objectives for the remainder of 2006."
Albert continued, "Nashua's strategy to exit lower margin or mature businesses on a cash-generating basis is on target. We ceased the manufacture of toner and developer in March 2006, have sold certain intellectual property and fixed assets to Katun Corporation and expect to complete the sale of the remaining machinery and equipment in the second quarter. Excluding future royalties from intellectual property, the toner liquidation should net between $4 million and $5 million. The Nashua real estate is under contract for $2 million and is expected to close in 2006, and the 43-acre, two-building Merrimack campus and Omaha real estate are being actively marketed."
Business Segment Highlights
Nashua's Label segment, which prints and converts product for the grocery, food service, retail, transportation, entertainment and general industrial markets, reported net sales for the first quarter of 2006 of $26.3 million, gross margin of $3.4 million, or 12.8%, and pre-tax income of $0.5 million. Net sales for the first quarter of 2005 were $26.3 million, gross margin was $3.7 million, or 14.1%, and pre-tax income was $1.2 million.
Albert stated, "Sales in the Label Products segment were flat year over year. Margins were negatively impacted by severance, plant shut down costs related to the plant consolidation project and by incremental pension cost, which in the aggregate totaled more than $500,000.
"As part of our overall plan to streamline operations and enhance customer service, we announced a plan to close our St. Louis plant by mid-summer, and consolidate Label Products manufacturing in Tennessee, Nebraska and Florida. As part of this plan, we recently executed a five-year lease for a 42,000 square-foot facility in Jacksonville, Florida, which will replace our existing facility in St. Augustine, Florida. We believe our three-facility Label Product manufacturing operation will provide the flexibility and efficiency needed to respond to the growth opportunities we see for our label business. In addition, we expect that our plant consolidation project will achieve savings of more than $1 million in 2007."
Nashua's Specialty Paper segment, which includes the paper coating and converting businesses, is the Company's largest business segment. The Specialty Paper Products segment reported net sales for the first quarter of 2006 of $39.3 million, gross margin of $6.3 million, or 16.0%, and pre-tax income of $0.5 million. Net sales in the first quarter of 2005 were $42.2 million, gross margin was $6.7 million or 15.8%, and pre-tax income was $0.2 million.
Albert stated, "Sales in the Specialty Paper segment declined due to lower thermal label face-sheet products and point of sale products. Sales and margins were also negatively impacted by the exit of the coated carbonless product line, as well as by incremental pension cost, which together totaled over $425,000. While sales were slightly lower than a year ago, margins in the converting portion of the Specialty Paper Products segment outperformed last year's results on a percentage basis, and helped increase margins for the entire segment.
"We continue to deliver growth in the wide format product line in this segment, and expect to expand our manufacturing operations by the beginning of the third quarter," said Albert. "In addition, we are introducing an expanded color graphics line during the second quarter that will enhance our value added offering in a growth segment of the wide format market."
Mr. Albert continued, "As we announced on March 15, Tom Brooker will join Nashua as CEO and President on May 4. Tom is an outstanding executive whose 25 years of direct experience enables him to know our industry extremely well. In particular, his expertise in sales and marketing will help Nashua leverage the significant progress that's been made in recent years to make the Company leaner, more focused and better positioned to pursue higher-margin business opportunities. I'm looking forward to Tom joining the great Nashua team and to working with him in my capacity as Chairman."
Use of Non-GAAP Measures
EBITDA is presented as supplemental information that management of Nashua believes may be useful to some investors in evaluating the Company because it is widely used as a measure of evaluating a company's operating performance, as well as to evaluate its operating cash flow. EBITDA is used by management in the computation of ratios utilized for financing purposes and for planning and forecasting in future periods. EBITDA is calculated by adding back net interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization to net income. EBITDA should not be considered a substitute either for net income, as an indicator of Nashua's operating performance, or for cash flow, as a measure of Nashua's liquidity. In addition, because EBITDA may not be calculated identically by all companies, the presentation here may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies.
About Nashua
Nashua Corporation manufactures and markets a wide variety of specialty imaging products and services to industrial and commercial customers to meet various print application needs. The Company's products include thermal coated papers, pressure-sensitive labels, colored copier papers, bond, point of sale, ATM and wide-format papers, entertainment tickets, as well as toners, developers, and ribbons for use in imaging devices. Additional information about Nashua Corporation can be found at www.nashua.com.
Thursday, 27 April 2006
Paderborn, - After experiencing double-digit growth in net sales and operating profit (EBITA) in the first six months of the current fiscal year, Wincor Nixdorf has raised its forecast for the full year. "We are still seeing a favorable overall environment and good prospects for more growth. This is also being driven by good trading in Germany. As a result, we are now predicting that net sales will grow by 10% rather than 8%, and operating profit by 15% instead of 10%", emphasized President & CEO Karl-Heinz Stiller.
The first six months saw Group net sales improve 12% to 943 million (841 million). Operating profit before amortization of product know-how (EBITA) was up 19% to 75 million (63 million), producing an improved return on sales of 8.0% (7.5%). Q2 net sales were € 455 million, 18% ahead of the same figure last year (386 million). In the first half of the year, net profit for the period before carve-out expenses climbed 30% to 43 million (33 million). Headcount increased to 7,445 as of March 31, 2006 (6,937 as of September 30, 2005).
Strong trading in Germany and net sales growth in Asia and the Americas ahead of market performance.
Having seen a fairly long period of stagnation, the German business has continued to perform well, with net sales up 14% at 253 million (221 million), making a key contribution to overall growth within the Group. The business in Germany contributed share of 27%, up slightly on last year's figure of 26%. German net sales in Q2 grew by 23%.
In Europe (excl. Germany) net sales during the first six months grew 7% to 496 million (465 million). At 53% (55%), they continue to contribute the largest share of total Group net sales. Net sales in Europe were up 13% in Q2.
First-half trading in Asia and the Americas was again ahead of the market, with net sales in the Americas 22% ahead at 71 million (58 million), or 10% in US dollar terms. The Americas' share of total net sales remained unchanged from last year at 7%.
In Asia-Pacific & Africa, net sales during the first six months moved up 27% to 123 million (97 million), or 16% when expressed in US dollars, meaning that this region is contributing 13% of total net sales (12%).
Net sales growth in both banking and retail segment
First-half net sales in the banking segment increased by 17% to 568 million (485 million), with Q2 growth of 23% in this segment.
Net sales in the retail segment were up 5% to 375 million (356 million). Net sales growth in Q2 in this segment was 11%.
Strong product trading providing a foundation for growing services business
Split by business stream, product net sales in the first half of the year were 15% ahead of the same figure last year, reaching to 565 million (493 million). The Solutions & Services business produced net sales 9% higher at 378 million (348 million), with the overall net sales split shifting in favor of the product business which was 60% (59%) against a Solutions & Services share of 40% (41%).
In Q2, product net sales were up 22% to 268 million (219 million). Net sales of Solutions & Services climbed 12% to 187 million (167 million).
The Company regards itself as well positioned, concentrating as it does on the changes underway in the branch and store businesses of the banking and retail industries. Recent successes in the area of reverse vending systems and intelligent solutions for cash and check deposits confirm the potential available here in terms of automation and standardization of business processes. The Company believes this will continue to be reflected in profitable growth. Karl-Heinz Stiller commented, "Innovative capability and reliability remain values in which our customers and shareholders can place their trust."
Wednesday, 19 April 2006
MELVILLE, N.Y. -(BUSINESS WIRE)- Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW) announced that it will host its annual Investor Day at the Sofitel New York, in New York City on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, ET. The event will include presentations by William E. Mitchell, President and CEO, and other members of Arrow's senior management team, as well as panel presentations with key customers.
The Investor Day event will be available via live webcast. To access the live webcast, visit www.arrow.com/investor. The webcast will remain available through May 17, 2006.
If you are a financial analyst or institutional investor and you are interested in attending the event in person, please contact Arrow Investor Relations at or 631-847-2799.
Arrow Electronics is a major global provider of products, services and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and computer products. Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Arrow serves as a supply channel partner for nearly 600 suppliers and more than 130,000 original equipment manufacturers, contract manufacturers and commercial customers through a global network of over 270 locations in 53 countries and territories.
Tuesday, 18 April 2006
Irvine, CA. — Worldlink Integration Group Inc., a national provider of technology deployment services, today announced the recent award of two new customer contracts valued in excess of $2,000,000.
One of the contracts awarded is from a new client which is a Texas based regional grocery store chain. The project encompasses Worldlink performing installation, logistics management and project management services around the upgrading of 3400 NCR scanner scales in nearly 300 locations. Worldlink was awarded this contract primarily based on their national coverage and ability to complete the project within 90 days from commencement.
The second contract awarded from an existing client consists of Worldlink performing staging, configuration, logistics management, installation and project management services for a major West Coast based retailer with 700 locations in over 40 states. Worldlink will be upgrading over 1600 POS registers and 400 back-office servers simultaneous to installing all required data cabling and free standing kiosks. Worldlink's ability to compete the entire national project in 100 days is a key factor in the award.
"Our demonstrated ability to consistently deliver national deployment services with superior quality and care, within deployment cycle timeframes both faster than customers anticipate and unparalleled within the industry, continues to fuel our ongoing growth from both new and existing regional and national customers," states David Clarke, Worldlink's President.
About Worldlink Integration Group, Inc.
Worldlink Integration Group, Inc. is a leading provider of national technology deployment services primarily for customers with locations dispersed regionally or nationally. These technology deployment services encompass from the highly repetitive to the complex project managed activities to the benefit of their many satisfied clients, including such leading companies as: Big 5 Sporting Goods, Kmart, Petco, New Edge Technologies, CSK Auto, Gateway, Sears, Aramark, Jack in the Box, 99 Cent Only Stores, Bartell Drugs and many others.
Source:
Worldlink Integration Group, Inc.
David R. Clarke
President/CFO
(949)212-5322
More Information:
www.worldlinkintegration.com
Monday, 17 April 2006
DAYTON, Ohio — NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) today announced that it has named Peter Dorsman as vice president and general manager of the company's Systemedia business. Additionally, Lee Schram, senior vice president of NCR's Retail Store Automation business, has resigned from NCR to become chief executive officer (CEO) at another company. Dan Bogan, currently vice president of Americas Sales and Service for Retail Store Automation, assumes the leadership of the division on an interim basis. Both appointments are effective today.
Systemedia
Dorsman's experience includes his role as executive vice president and chief operating officer at Standard Register, a document and information solutions provider covering similar markets as Systemedia. Prior to that, he was senior vice president of Standard Register's Document Management and Systems Division.
Before his role at Standard Register, Dorsman served for nearly 20 years at NCR in various marketing and sales leadership roles.
"Peter has broad general management experience in the markets Systemedia serves," said Bill Nuti, president and CEO of NCR. "He is also a long-time veteran of NCR and we're excited to have him back on the team."
Dorsman succeeds Mark Quinlan, who is assisting in the transition.
"We thank Mark for his contributions to our Systemedia business," said Nuti.
Dorsman serves on the board of directors of Applied Industrial Technologies. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Syracuse University.
NCR's Systemedia business provides business products and services, such as receipt paper and printer supplies, for the retail, financial and manufacturing industries.
Retail Store Automation
Bogan has been with NCR for almost 30 years, rising through the company in progressively more senior positions within the retail business, including sales and service, marketing, industry marketing, and strategy. Prior to his current role as Retail Store Automation's head of sales and service for the Americas region, Dan was vice president of marketing and strategy for the business.
"Dan has long-term experience and expertise in the retail industry. With Dan's domain knowledge of the industry and NCR, we will continue to focus on making improvements in our operating model and leveraging our leadership in self-service technologies," said Nuti.
"We thank Lee for his many contributions to NCR over the past 22 years and appreciate his assistance ensuring a smooth transition over the coming weeks. And we all wish him well in his new endeavor," said Nuti.
NCR's Retail Store Automation business provides retail-oriented technologies such as point-of-sale terminals, bar-code scanners and software, as well as innovative products such as self-checkout systems and self-service kiosks to companies worldwide.
About NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a leading global technology company helping businesses build stronger relationships with their customers. NCR's Teradata data warehouses, ATMs, retail systems, self-service solutions and IT services provide Relationship Technology that maximizes the value of customer interactions and helps organizations create a stronger competitive position. Based in Dayton, Ohio, NCR (www.ncr.com) employs approximately 28,200 people worldwide.
Monday, 10 April 2006
Burnaby, BC - Info Touch Technologies Corp. (TSX-V: IFT), owners of North American's leading non-bank financial services network, today announced that it has changed its name to TIO Networks Corp. and will begin trading under its new stock symbol, TNC, on the TSX Venture Exchange as of April 11th, 2006.
With this announcement, TIO Networks Corp builds on the strength of the well-known and recognizable TIO brand that cash-preferred consumers trust for convenient and secure access to bill payment and other financial services (such as pre-paid products, PIN dispensing, money order, money transfer, etc). The TIO symbol indicates the availability of these services in both a self serve and clerk assisted environment with a large and growing coalition of convenience retail location partners, billers, and other financial service providers.
"Over the past couple of years the Company has made the transition from 'kiosk solutions' to 'high value bill payment and financial services processing', with valuable real-time connectivity to a host of large scale billers and service providers," said Hamed Shahbazi, Chairman and CEO of TIO Networks Corp. "TIO Networks will continue to leverage and monetize its deep self-service automated competencies, particularly the ability to accept cash and other payment forms in an unattended environment."
Market acceptance across the TIO Network continues to increase; over the past month the TIO Network has processed approximately 300,000 bill payment transactions. With one transaction generated every 9 seconds, recurring revenues generated by bill payment processing services comprise the vast majority of the Company's revenues.
Consistent with the corporate name change, TIO Networks will now be found on the Web at www.tionetworks.com
About TIO Networks Corp.
TIO Networks Corp, a strategic investment of Hewlett Packard, is building the largest and most convenient national multi-retailer network of financial services kiosks for the "cash preferred" consumer marketplace in North America. The company leverages its core competencies in self-service bill payment processing, financial services aggregation and automation to create financial viability for its network and its location partners. With more than 750 locations and 6 top tier corporate owned convenience store chains participating, the TIO brand symbolizes safe secure access to key financial services. TIO Networks' clients include: Circle K, ExxonMobil, Cingular Wireless, Speedway SuperAmerica, Cricket Communications, COX Communications, Memphis Light Gas and Water (MLGW) and Qwest Communications. For more information, please visit www.tionetworks.com
Contacts:
Behshad Hastibakhsh, Media Relations — TIO Networks
Tel: 604.298.4636, Ext. 250
Toll Free: 888.679.3322
Email:
John Lewis, Business Development - TIO Networks
Tel: 416-364-2266
Toll Free: 877-600-6001
Email:
Monday, 10 April 2006
Kiosk, pronounced KEE-ahsk, n. [from the Turkish kiushk, and earlier Persian ki(o)shk, meaning open summer house or pavilion supported by pillars]
1. a small physical structure incorporating a computer, display screen and interactive mechanism, for transactions, sales or dispensing information.
LOUISVILLE, COLO. - The U.S. company commanding a significant share of the expanding global self-service marketplace has formally adopted the name KIOSK as its brand identity. Best known as KIS, or Kiosk Information Systems, the company will now use the name KIOSK to define itself.
The company's new internationally trademarked logo includes a subtle graphic of an individual standing at a kiosk, closely resembling the company's most popular kiosk model, the Stealth. To further extend its brand, KIOSK also secured the Web domain name KIOSK.com, and uses that Web address for its corporate sales portal.
"Our corporate name is now synonymous with our product, and there's absolutely no question about what we produce," said Rick Malone, KIOSK founder and Chief Executive Officer. "We continue to be the industry leader in advanced kiosk design and technology and our customers look to us to set the pace." Malone said KIOSK has moved from manufacturing and systems integration into the role of trend identification and product design to respond to the demands of self-service convenience.
KIOSK's new identity will be formally rolled out at the KioskCom trade show April 10-12 in
Las Vegas, where KIOSK is platinum sponsor of the 10th annual show. New KIOSK product offerings — including photo and sales applications — also will debut at the show.
KIOSK's latest innovations include a car rental check in solution for Alamo Rent A Car, enabling customers to use a kiosk to locate cars and complete rental agreements. The kiosks currently are deployed at Alamo locations in Dallas-Fort Worth and Las Vegas airports. The company also has begun delivering more than 2,000 custom devices to dispense Amtrak rail tickets in train stations nationwide.
Tom Weaver, KIOSK's vice president of sales and marketing, said the company's immediate future is tied to digital technology. "Consumers want to be able to download music, wireless ring tones and process digital images. Our research and development teams are working at warp speed to design self-service kiosks that are customer friendly and technologically robust." Weaver added that consumer-driven trends of video gaming, especially multi-player configurations, will move the industry into exciting territory.
In its 13-year history, KIOSK has set the standard for creating terminals that dispense tickets, receive packages and pay bills. The company has created devices for Wal-Mart, McDonald's, Target, Sony Photo, FedEx, Ticketmaster, Safeway, Citibank, Exxon Mobil Corporation and the U.S. Postal Service. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security uses KIOSK products for the "US VISIT"� foreign traveler visa system.
About KIOSK
KIOSK, based in Louisville, Colorado, near Denver, is the world leader in design, manufacturing, service and support of indoor and outdoor kiosks of every variety. KIOSK is the OEM manufacturer of self-service terminals for Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Sony Photo, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration and many others. KIOSK corporate clients include McDonald's, Ticketmaster, FedEx, Safeway, Citibank, Disney, Exxon Mobil Corporation, the U.S. Postal Service and Wal-Mart, as well as numerous government agencies and universities. KIOSK is an ISO 9001 certified manufacturer with facilities in Louisville, Colo., and Edinburgh, Scotland. For more information, see the company's Web site at www.kiosk.com.
Wednesday, 05 April 2006
Carson, CA - MagTek, a global leader in electronic payments technology, announced today the appointment of Julie Stuthridge as Director of Marketing.
In her new position as Director of Marketing, Ms. Stuthridge will focus on marketing communications and public relations as well strengthening market positioning for MagTek's extensive product lines of Card Reading and Encoding, Check Reading and Scanning and PIN-based products. Ms. Stuthridge will also be responsible for assessing market requirements in tandem with MagTek's Financial, Retail and OEM Business Unit Managers. Julie will be assuming the position previously held by Kathy Crumley, to enable Ms. Crumley to focus on Business Development and strategic growth for MagTek.
"We are delighted to welcome Ms. Stuthridge as our new Director of Marketing" said Sarah Irato, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing. "With her extensive industry knowledge and contacts, Julie is a key addition to the MagTek team and will be a driving force behind MagTek's continued market penetration worldwide.
Prior to joining MagTek, Ms. Stuthridge was in charge of Marketing Communications for MIST, Wireless Inc. and held positions at both VeriFone and Hypercom Corporation.
About MagTek
Since 1972, MagTek has been a world leader in electronic transaction technology, from magnetic stripe card readers and writers to high-accuracy MICR check readers and scanners, secure PIN issuance and cardholder verification systems. The company's products and components are in use today at point-of-sale (POS) and back-office locations in thousands of companies around the world; incorporated into kiosks and ATMs, banking customer service terminals, custom retail POS terminals, and restaurant and hospitality equipment. MagTek is based in Carson, California and has sales offices throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, with independent distributors in over 40 countries.
About Julie Stuthridge
Ms. Stuthridge holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business and Marketing and has 20 years marketing experience and over 8 years experience in the electronic payment industries. Prior to joining MagTek, she has held senior marketing and general management positions in the electronic imaging, storage, retrieval and software industries, and led marketing initiatives for VeriFone, Mist Wireless and Hypercom Corporation.
Wednesday, 05 April 2006
Irvine, CA. -- Worldlink Integration Group, Inc., headquartered in Irvine, CA today formally announced the participation and certification within two significant structured cabling programs. First, Worldlink has become an Oasis Certified Installer for Berk-Tek. As an Oasis integrator, Worldlink performs national structured cabling services with a Berk-Tek backed system warranty of 25 years. The Oasis program is Berk-Tek's highest level of certification. In addition, Worldlink is certified to install NetClear structured cabling systems, the industry's most advanced cabling systems, consisting of components from Berk-Tek and Ortronics designed to deliver maximized dynamic performance for real world networks. The NetClear Alliance between Berk-Tek and Ortronics optimizes cabling solutions backed by superior research, systems planning, certified installation, a 25-year warranty, and unsurpassed engineering and technical support. In both cases, Worldlink is one of a few national structural cabling service providers to be certified in both programs.
"Our participation in both of these programs is vital to the continued growth of our company," states John Fecteau, Worldlink's Chief Operating Officer "as we have continued to prove ourselves over the years, both Berk-Tek and Ortronics have demonstrated strong and loyal support towards our organization. Our certification in both these programs validates Worldlink as one of the premier national structured cabling services companies in North America".
About Worldlink Integration Group, Inc.
Worldlink Integration Group, Inc. is a leading provider of national technology deployment services primarily for regional and national retail customers. These technology deployment services encompass from the highly repetitive to the complex project managed activities their customers demand across the lifecycle of the customer's geographically distributed technology infrastructure. Worldlink has built its business providing flexibility and rapid execution to the benefit of their many satisfied clients, including such leading companies as: Big 5 Sporting Goods, Kmart, Petco, New Edge Technologies, CSK Auto, Gateway, Sears, Aramark, Jack in the Box, and Bartell Drugs. With blanket national technician coverage, local staging and depot facilities and a leading project management practice, Worldlink performs thousands of deployments each year across the country. The Worldlink model delivers for customers an unrivaled combination of quality, flexibility, economy and timely execution.
For More Information:
David R. Clarke
(949)212-5322
www.worldlinkintegration.com
Wednesday, 29 March 2006
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE) -- 3M has launched a new Web site with an old address: www.3M.com/telecom. Here you can find the full set of solutions used by worldwide customers to connect, protect, test and locate communications networks.
The site was developed with your ease of use in mind. Use the Solutions Tool Product Selector to find industry-proven telecommunication solutions tailored to your situation. It's fast and easy. A comprehensive suite of products for use in applications from military and government to aerial plant, central office, utilities, CATV - wherever communications networks are found - is available. Just fill in your preferences and discover the right products for your job.
The solutions tool and the complete online catalog indicate which products are compliant with RoHS and WEEE directives.
In addition, you can find what promotions are running currently, register for workshops and read the latest news releases.
3M Telecommunications
3M - a major force in the telecommunications industry for more than 100 years - provides practical, scalable solutions to telecommunications service providers around the world. Our proven systems optimize network testing, construction, locating and maintenance for faster, more reliable high-bandwidth transmissions. 3M provides physical media-layer capabilities for FTTP and DSL deployments from central office to customer premises. Worldwide customers rely on 3M fiber optics technologies to leverage existing infrastructure or install completely new networks. OSP magazine called us "America's favorite supplier of OSP products."
About 3M - A Global, Diversified Technology Company
Every day, 3M people find new ways to make amazing things happen. Wherever they are, whatever they do, the company's customers know they can rely on 3M to help make their lives better. 3M's brands include Scotch, Post-it, Scotchgard, Thinsulate, Scotch-Brite, Filtrete, Command and Vikuiti. Serving customers in more than 200 countries around the world, the company's 69,000 people use their expertise, technologies and global strength to lead in major markets including consumer and office; display and graphics; electronics and telecommunications; safety, security and protection services; health care; industrial and transportation. For more information, including the latest product and technology news, visit www.3M.com.
Scotch, Post-it, Scotchgard, Thinsulate, Scotch-Brite, Filtrete, Command and Vikuiti are trademarks of 3M.
Tuesday, 28 March 2006
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The North American Components (NAC) group of Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW) announced today it has signed agreements with LED Specialists and Metaphase Technologies, two high brightness light emitting diodes (LED) experts.
Arrow's Lighting Group, launched in January, was created to deliver total customer solutions to designers, integrators and manufacturers of products containing high brightness LEDs.
LED Specialists and Metaphase will join the Arrow Consulting Engineering Services (ACES) program, which assists Arrow's customers in quickly finding highly skilled design service firms. The addition of these firms will enhance ACES' ability to help customers with a wide variety of lighting needs.
The new partners will accelerate Arrow's customers' time to market by helping them address the complexities of designing high brightness/power LED-based lighting solutions.
LED Specialists (www.ledspecialists.com) is an engineering services firm specializing in the design and integration of high performance LED lighting solutions. LED Specialists' services include requirements analysis and rapid prototyping, optical design, electronic driver design, mechanical design, including thermal management and component manufacturing.
Metaphase (www.metaphase-tech.com) addresses customer needs for straightforward lighting solutions using LEDs in non-imaging applications. Metaphase offers expertise in the design of components such as secondary optics for LEDs and fully developed lighting systems. Metaphase's services include design team consultation, prototyping for design verification and full OEM component and system manufacturing.
"Being successful in the lighting industry is more than just specifying the LED -- it is about how the end product is used," said Robert Sagebiel, director of lighting, Arrow NAC. "Finding the best LED, the right ballast or LED driver components, optics, heat sinks and final assembly options is critical in developing a real world solution that is both easily manufactured and meets the needs of the customer. By partnering with third-party experts such as Metaphase and LED Specialists we can help our customers identify these elements and develop the best available LED lighting solution."
Arrow's new Lighting Group is dedicated to supporting manufacturers of products containing high brightness LEDs. The group consists of regional lighting specialists, lighting applications engineers, and dedicated inside sales representatives who help Arrow's customers seize opportunities in the rapidly growing lighting market.
About the North American Components group of Arrow Electronics
The North American Components (NAC) group of Arrow Electronics, Inc. is a leading provider of semiconductors and passive, electromechanical, and connector products, services, and supply chain solutions tailored to serve distinct customer segments with dedicated sales teams. Three primary, customer-focused NAC groups serve these market segments: The Arrow/Zeus Electronics Group targets the aerospace and military markets; the Arrow Electronics Components Group serves local OEM and contract manufacturing customers; and the Arrow Alliance Group focuses on large customers with complex needs.
Arrow Electronics, Inc. is a major global provider of products, services, and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and computer products.
Arrow Electronics, Inc.
Ann Shiveley, 303-824-3762
Friday, 24 March 2006
NEW YORK, NY - IBM today announced that it has signed a long-term contract with Solectron Corporation (NYSE: SLR), a leading provider of electronics manufacturing and integrated supply chain services, for indirect procurement services across 17 countries. Solectron is expected to realize significant savings throughout the life of the contract by leveraging IBM's global economies of scale and by optimizing core procurement processes. The value of the contract is not being disclosed.
IBM will manage more than $1.2 billion per year of indirect spend in areas such as temporary contract services, office equipment, utilities, and telecommunications. Core to the project is the implementation of IBM's complete Procure-To-Pay procurement solution that will be integrated with Solectron's internal systems and controls. IBM's solution will enable web-based requisitioning as well as efficient procurement and supplier payment.
"The savings we expect from this contract with IBM will contribute to both operational and process innovation and simplification, which improves services to our customers and suppliers," says Perry Mulligan, chief procurement officer, Solectron. "IBM's world-class expertise and experience in sourcing and procurement as well as its ability to serve us globally were keys in the development of our indirect procurement strategy."
Solectron worked closely with IBM to customize the service offerings into a single, holistic procurement solution. This approach combines Solectron's strategy with IBM's leading-edge procurement practices. Elements of the overall procurement solution include IBM commodity experts, a global contact center and an accounts payable processing center supporting Solectron suppliers and employees around the globe. Solectron will also have access to a full range of transformation and maintenance services from IBM.
"IBM's ability to share its internal procurement expertise with clients is an incredibly unique value proposition," says John Paterson, chief procurement officer, IBM Integrated Supply Chain. "Organizations both large and small can benefit from procurement outsourcing which can deliver both short and long-term economic benefits."
Business Transformation Outsourcing (BTO) transforms client organizations and delivers enterprise optimization through innovative business and technology approaches. Using its global network of expertise, industry-leading consulting methodologies, research and engineering capabilities, advanced technologies and analytical tools, IBM's BTO services standardize, streamline and improve business processes. IBM BTO services transform key business functions including Finance and Accounting, Customer Relationship Management, Supply Chain, Procurement and Human Resources. IBM provides BTO services to many of the world's leading organizations, and over the last four years has made a number of strategic acquisitions and investments to expand and strengthen its capabilities, including the acquisitions of PwC Consulting, Daksh eServices, Liberty Insurance Services Corp., Maersk Data, Key MRO, Equitant, Healthlink and Viacore, Inc.
The hosted Procure-To-Pay environment and business operation will go live in the autumn of 2006 in North America and will then be fully deployed globally by early spring 2007.
About IBM
With consultants and professional staff in more than 160 countries globally, IBM Business Consulting Services is the world's largest consulting services organization. IBM Business Consulting Services provides clients with business transformation and industry expertise, and the ability to translate that expertise into integrated, responsive, on-demand business solutions and services that deliver bottom-line business value. Over the past several years, IBM Business Consulting Services has developed industry-leading transformation consulting skills and delivery capabilities in key areas, including Human Resources, Financial Management, Customer Relationship Management and Procurement. For more information, visit http://www.ibm.com.
About Solectron Corp.
Solectron Corporation (www.solectron.com) provides a full range of electronics manufacturing and supply-chain management services to the world's leading networking, telecommunications, computing, consumer, automotive, industrial and medical device firms. The company's industry-leading Lean Six Sigma methodology (Solectron Production System) provides OEMs with low cost, flexibility and quality that improves competitive advantage. Solectron's service offerings include new-product introduction, collaborative design, materials management, product manufacturing, product warranty repair and end-of-life support. Based in Milpitas, Calif., Solectron operates in more than 20 countries on five continents and had sales from continuing operations of $10.4 billion in fiscal 2005.
Wednesday, 22 March 2006
BOULDER, CO - 22 Mar 2006: IBM announced today that it has received a "Positive" rating in Gartner's MarketScope for Distributed Output Management.(1)
The rating was based on evaluation of products, services, customer experience, strategy, ability to execute, and several other criteria. Sixteen vendors were evaluated by Gartner.
Distributed output management is defined by Gartner as middleware that drives the output process and supports the automated creation and delivery of business process and ad hoc documents. They estimate that the 2005 worldwide market size of distributed output management was $441 million in software and maintenance and forecast that this market will have a 5 percent compound annual growth rate from 2006 to 2010.
The study evaluated the IBM Infoprint Workflow Portfolio, which includes the Infoprint Workflow services offering, IBM Infoprint Manager software, and new IBM Infoprint ProcessDirector software.
"Distributed output management is an important consideration for companies that are looking to automate processes, while increasing flexibility and security. It has become much more than managing output from a server to a printer," said Karen Fukuma, vice president, production solutions, IBM Printing Systems Division. "Leaders in this area have designed an end-to-end framework to include print, the web, email and other forms of electronic distribution. We believe Gartner's 'Positive' rating confirms IBM's position in distributed output management and our commitment to providing clients with a wide range of capabilities to meet a variety of requirements."
IBM Infoprint Workflow Portfolio The IBM Infoprint Workflow Portfolio can help clients address business challenges ranging from basic printer management to enterprise-wide output transformation.
IBM Infoprint Manager software is for managing transaction, distributed, and POD (print on demand) printing. It enables more efficient enterprise print management with lower overall costs, better utilization of existing printer assets and full accounting of printer resources. Infoprint Manager can scale from small to very large, multisite transaction output operations.
Infoprint ProcessDirector software is a customer configurable output process management system based on the Linux platform. It enables job-level control of print processes to simplify operations, lower costs and support the re-engineering of transaction output processes. ProcessDirector enables clients to start small and grow over time.
The Infoprint Workflow solution is an industry-leading end-to-end, customized consulting engagement and workflow management and control solution. IBM works side-by-side with clients to automate and transform their enterprise document production and distribution to help increase efficiency, improve integrity, comply with government regulations and reduce costs.
About IBM
With more than 40 years of experience in helping customers with print solutions, IBM Printing Systems specializes in output solutions for the on demand era. A leader in production print solutions, print-on-demand technologies, distributed print technologies, one-to-one marketing initiatives and print management software; IBM Printing Systems' offerings include printers, software, consultation, systems integration, supplies, service and support. For more information visit http://www.ibm.com/printers.
Gartner MarketScope
The MarketScope is copyrighted 2006 by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission. The MarketScope is an evaluation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner's analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the MarketScope, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest rating. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
Tuesday, 21 March 2006
MELVILLE, N.Y., - PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: ARW) today announced the appointment of Peter T. Kong as a corporate vice president and president, Arrow Asia/Pacific, effective April 1, 2006.
Mr. Kong will lead Arrow's Asia/Pacific business and report to Michael J. Long, president, North America and Asia/Pacific Components, and will be a member of the company's Executive Committee.
"Peter Kong's extensive experience leading and working with businesses in the Asia Pacific region, coupled with his deep experience with U.S. based companies, make him the ideal leader to take Arrow Asia/Pacific to the next level of performance," said William E. Mitchell, president and chief executive officer, Arrow Electronics.
From 1998 to 2006, Mr. Kong served as president, Asia Pacific Operations, for Lear Corporation. In that role, he developed and implemented the company's Asia Pacific growth strategy and successfully led the division to record sales and profitability. Prior to joining Lear Corporation, Mr. Kong was president, MAPS International Inc., where he provided consulting services in the areas of business development, sourcing, mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning and operations management to companies doing business in Asia. Mr. Kong holds a master's degree in business administration from the University of Toronto, a master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin, and a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Washington State University.
About Arrow Electronics
Arrow Electronics (http://www.arrow.com) is a major global provider of products, services and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and computer products. Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Arrow serves as a supply channel partner for nearly 600 suppliers and more than 130,000 original equipment manufacturers, contract manufacturers and commercial customers through a global network of over 270 locations in 53 countries and territories.
SOURCE Arrow Electronics, Inc.
CONTACT:
Ira M. Birns, Vice President and Treasurer, +1-631-847-1657,
Paul J. Reilly, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, +1-631-847-1872,
Media Inquiries:
Jacqueline F. Strayer, Vice President, Corporate Communications, +1-631-847-2101
Tuesday, 21 March 2006
NORTH CANTON, Ohio -- PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- More than 116 financial institutions across the United States and Canada have harnessed the power of Diebold's Agilis(R) software to enhance their brands and bolster promotion of branch products at Diebold's Opteva(R) ATMs. A recent offer from Diebold, Incorporated (NYSE: DBD) enabled customers to utilize ATM screens created by the company to communicate marketing messages and personalize greetings to ATM users.
Pat McCune, president and CEO of Community Bank, a Diebold customer located in Carmichaels, Pa., said he recognized the promotion as an opportunity to capitalize on the number of transactions its ATMs process.
"We viewed this as a mechanism to feature products and services offered by the bank," McCune said. "The Diebold Opteva ATM free marketing messages allowed us to reach out to a growing group of consumers that utilize the electronic delivery systems offered by our institution."
Diebold implemented the HTML screen program in June 2005 as a way to introduce financial institutions to its Windows(R)- based Campaign Office(TM) software. Campaign Office allows financial institutions to personalize their ATMs with location-based options and screen messaging, segment advertising based on customer demographics and obtain detailed status reports about ATM usage.
Auto Workers Federal Credit Union, a Diebold customer located in West Mifflin, Pa., recognized the value of the promotion. Mike Pastirik, president and CEO of the credit union, said it was an opportunity to project a professional image.
"We purchased two new ATMs and in addition to the welcome screen, we had two additional screens made: one that promotes automobile loans and another that promotes home loans," Pastirik said. "The larger screen and television- like graphics are very appealing. In the future, we plan to have new screens created that will promote membership."
Customers who purchase Opteva ATMs may select two welcome screens from one of six templates, which are customized with the institution's name and logo at no charge. The free screens are available to the financial institution for the life of the ATM. Screens can be changed or enhanced and new screens can be added through purchase of Diebold's Campaign Office solution.
"Diebold always strives to offer more to its customers, and with HTML- customized screens, we can provide the most comprehensive options for screen customization," said Dave Bucci, senior vice president of Diebold's Customer Solutions Group. "This offering enhanced financial institutions' brand and provided a fresh user interface for customers."
Since its implementation, the HTML screen program has successfully helped financial institutions offer an enhanced self-service experience for consumers and provided a stronger representation of their brand. It has also assisted in generating sales of branch products. The promotion allowed customers an opportunity to test the enhanced capabilities of Opteva and Windows-based Agilis terminal software and determine what benefits it provided to their financial institution before making an investment in the solution.
To view photos of HTML screens, visit
http://www.diebold.com/whatsnews/HTMLscreens.htm.
http://www.diebold.com
About Diebold
Diebold, Incorporated is a global leader in providing integrated self- service delivery and security systems and services. Diebold employs more than 14,000 associates with representation in nearly 90 countries worldwide and is headquartered in Canton, Ohio, USA. Diebold reported revenue of $2.6 billion in 2005 and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "DBD." For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.diebold.com.
Wednesday, 15 March 2006
Nashua, N.H., March 15, 2006 - Nashua Corporation (NASDAQ: NSHA) announced today that Thomas G. Brooker will succeed Andrew B. Albert as the Company's Chief Executive Officer and President, effective May 4, 2006. Mr. Albert will continue in his role as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Brooker will be nominated for election and Mr. Albert will be nominated for re-election to serve on Nashua Board of Directors at the Company's Annual Meeting to be held in Nashua, New Hampshire, on May 1, 2006.
Prior to his selection as Nashua's next CEO and President, Mr. Brooker, 47, served as the Group President of Forms, Labels and Office Products for Moore Wallace, a company he joined as a sales representative in 1981. Throughout his career at Moore Wallace, he held a number of positions, including Vice President of the Office Products Group and Executive Vice President of Sales. Moore Wallace is a subsidiary of R.R. Donnelley & Sons (NYSE: RRD).
Commenting on Mr. Brooker's appointment, Mr. Albert said, "We are excited that Tom will be joining Nashua in May. He brings 25 years of solid industry experience to the label, converting and coating businesses of Nashua, and his expertise and leadership skills are well suited to the strengths of our management team and the Company overall. I am confident he will build on Nashua's momentum and ensure that the Company continues to move in the right direction. I look forward to working with Tom in the upcoming months to ensure a smooth transition."
Mr. Albert continued, "While my role is changing, as Chairman I will remain focused on the Company's continued growth — as a business and as an investment. I am proud of Nashua's accomplishments over the past five years. In essence, the Nashua team turned around a struggling enterprise to create a company poised for strong performance in terms of operations and service, financials and shareholder returns. The Company is well positioned for future growth, and I am certain that Tom is the right person to lead Nashua and capture the opportunities that are available to us."
Mr. Brooker said, "I am extremely pleased to be joining a first-rate company like Nashua. I am eager to work with Andy and his management team to take the company to the next level and further enhance its value for shareholders, customers and employees alike. It will be exciting to work with managers and employees whose talent, dedication and knowledge of the business are evident throughout the Company's operations. I am honored to become a part of the Nashua team."
About Nashua
Nashua Corporation manufactures and markets a wide variety of specialty imaging products and services to industrial and commercial customers to meet various print application needs. The Company's products include thermal coated papers, pressure-sensitive labels, bond, point of sale, ATM and wide format papers, entertainment tickets, and ribbons for use in imaging devices. Additional information about Nashua Corporation can be found at www.nashua.com.
Contact:
Andy Albert/John Patenaude
Nashua Corporation
847-318-1710/603-880-2145
Rich Coyle
Citigate Sard Verbinnen
212-687-8080
Wednesday, 15 March 2006
MACAU (March 15, 2006) — Responding quickly to the growing needs of its customers in the region, JCM Gold (H.K.) Ltd. has opened a new sales office in Macau. The office will offer direct local sales and support, including product training, trouble shooting and maintenance.
Pictured in photo (left to right):
Akioshi Isoi, Masakazu Sakamoto, Yojiro Kamihigashi, Koji Tsubakihara, Norihito Nakatani
The office will sell and service the entire line of JCM products, including the World Bill Acceptor (WBA), Universal Bill Acceptor (UBA), Trident Table Safe System and Intelligent Cash Box (ICB). The office will also offer TransAct printers, including the Epic 950, which is available on virtually every modern game platform.
JCM Gold (HK) Chairman Yojiro Kamihigashi said, "This is an incredibly exciting time in the gaming industry, and we are thrilled to open an office in Macau, where we can provide local, easy access to JCM staff and products. Globally, we are ready to commit all necessary resources to further strengthen our customer-centric business philosophy."
JCM Macau is located at Unit N, 6/F, Dynasty Plaza 393-437 Alameda Dr. Carlos D'Assumpcao, Macau, and is headed by Masakazu Sakamoto.
About the Alliance Companies
JCM American Corporation is the industry leader in currency handling systems and provides products, software and services to the gaming, vending, banking, amusement, and petroleum industries. TransAct (Nasdaq: TACT) designs, develops, manufactures and markets transaction-based printers under the Ithaca and Epic names. In addition, the company markets related peripherals spare parts and service.
Tuesday, 14 March 2006
PALO ALTO, Calif., March 14, 2006 - HP today announced that the nonprofit organization World Vision U.S. has named the company as its preferred technology provider to accelerate international relief efforts.
HP will deliver and deploy technology and services supporting the Christian organization's relief, development and advocacy work for the estimated 100 million children and adults World Vision serves in nearly 100 countries worldwide.
World Vision has standardized on HP technology and services to quickly respond to changing business needs and more efficiently manage donations during peak transaction times. Following several recent natural disasters, there has been an estimated 50-fold increase in contributions to the nonprofit group. After the 2004 Asian tsunami, HP technology enabled World Vision to expand capacity and process information and transactions involving 70,000 new donors.
"We selected HP as our preferred technology provider based on its vision, expertise, flexibility and understanding of our needs as a nonprofit organization," said Will Randolph, chief information officer, World Vision. "With its broad portfolio of technology and services, HP provides us with an offering that will allow for growth of our program while addressing day-to-day IT budget and resource constraints."
HP has been working with World Vision to streamline its business processes with an IT consolidation project. This included replacing multiple servers with an HP 9000 Superdome system to power the organization's Donor Vision database. This worldwide database tracks the names of participating children, families and sponsors, as well as contributions and distributions.
To ensure consistent and dependable management and reliability of this massive amount of data, World Vision also deployed HP StorageWorks Enterprise Virtual Arrays (EVAs) and industry-standard HP ProLiant server blades running Linux. The technology will pool shared resources to support various workloads and ensure business continuity and availability as well as reliable data replication throughout the organization. Additionally, HP Services is providing technology support for an Oracle database running HP technology.
"HP's highly flexible, simplified and cost-effective solutions and services enable customers such as World Vision to identify critical business needs and quickly apply IT expertise to manage change," said Deborah L. Nelson, vice president, Worldwide Marketing and Alliances, HP. "That is what our Adaptive Enterprise strategy is all about, providing technology solutions that help make it easier for customers like World Vision to align their IT resources with their primary missions."
About HP
HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company's offerings span IT infrastructure, global services, business and home computing, and imaging and printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended Jan. 31, 2006, HP revenue totaled $87.9 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.
Wednesday, 08 March 2006
MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 8, 2006--Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW) announced today that its President and Chief Executive Officer, William E. Mitchell, adopted a stock trading plan in accordance with rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 which allows corporate officers and directors to adopt written, pre-arranged stock trading plans when they do not have material, non-public information.
Mr. Mitchell is entering into the stock trading plan for personal tax, asset diversification and financial planning reasons. Under his stock trading plan, Mr. Mitchell may sell up to 115,000 shares of Arrow Electronics common stock over a period of one year. Most of the shares will be acquired through the exercise of stock options. The transactions will be disclosed publicly through Form 144 and Form 4 filings as required by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Arrow Electronics is a major global provider of products, services and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and computer products. Headquartered in Melville, New York, Arrow serves as a supply channel partner for nearly 600 suppliers and more than 130,000 original equipment manufacturers, contract manufacturers and commercial customers through a global network of over 270 locations in 53 countries and territories.
CONTACT: Arrow Electronics, Inc.
Ira M. Birns
Vice President & Treasurer
631-847-1657
Paul J. Reilly
Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
631-847-1872
Media:
Jacqueline F. Strayer
Vice President, Corporate Communications
631-847-2101
SOURCE: Arrow Electronics, Inc.
Wednesday, 08 March 2006
Burnaby, BC, March 6, 2006 - Info Touch Technologies Corp. (TSX-V: IFT), owners of the TIO Network, has teamed up with Sunoco, Inc.'s (NYSE: SUN) Retail Marketing division to set up a pilot program deploying, for a limited time period, self-serve automated bill payment and financial services touch-screen terminals at certain Sunoco APlusR convenience stores in the Pittsburgh, PA area. The terminals seek to provide a convenient way for customers to pay a host of bills including wireless, utility and cable bills, to view and update their accounts, and to purchase prepaid products and services and revalue and/or activate stored value products. The first deployment will be completed in March 2006.
"We are thrilled to partner with Sunoco, one of America's truly trusted brands, to expand our bill payment and financial services program", said Hamed Shahbazi, Chairman and CEO of Info Touch Technologies. "IFT believes that this pilot program with Sunoco presents a significant opportunity to serve the cash preferred community with cash based financial services as provided by the TIO program".
About Info Touch
Info Touch Technologies, a strategic investment of Hewlett Packard, is building the "TIO Network" the largest and most convenient national multi-retailer network of financial services kiosks for the non-banked consumer marketplace in North America. The company leverages its core competencies in self-service bill payment processing, financial services aggregation and automation to create financial viability for its network and its location partners. Info Touch's Premiere (powered by Surfnet) is the preferred software platform for the delivery of automated services such as bill payment, money transfer, digital merchandising, PIN dispensing for pre-paid products and services, maps and directions, check cashing and electronic coupons. Info Touch clients include: Circle K, ExxonMobil, Alimentation Couche-Tard, Speedway SuperAmerica, Cricket Communications, COX Communications, Memphis Light Gas and Water (MLGW) and Qwest Communications. www.infotouch.net.
About the TIO Network
With more than 700 locations and 6 top tier corporate owned convenience store chains participating, the "TIO Network" is the largest national multi-retailer network of self-service financial service kiosks in North America. The TIO brand symbolizes safe secure access to key financial services with 'real time' updates for the cash preferred consumer.
About Sunoco Inc.
Sunoco, Inc., headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, is a leading manufacturer and marketer of petroleum and petrochemical products. With 900,000 barrels per day of refining capacity, approximately 4,800 retail sites selling gasoline and convenience items, approximately 4,500 miles of crude oil and refined product owned and operated pipelines and 38 product terminals, Sunoco is one of the largest independent refiner-marketers in the United States. Sunoco is a significant manufacturer of petrochemicals with annual sales of approximately five billion pounds, largely chemical intermediates used to make fibers, plastics, film and resins. Utilizing a unique, patented technology, Sunoco also has the capacity to manufacture over 2.5 million tons annually of high-quality metallurgical-grade coke for use in the steel industry.
For further information, please contact:
Behshad Hastibakhsh, Media Relations - Info Touch Technologies
Tel: 604.298.4636, Ext. 250
Toll Free: 888.679.3322
Email:
John Lewis, Business Development - Info Touch Technologies
Tel: 416-364-2266
Toll Free: 1-877-600-6001
Email:
Tuesday, 07 March 2006
SKANEATELES FALLS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 7, 2006--Hand Held Products, Inc., a leader in image-based data collection systems for mobile, in-premise and transaction processing applications, announced today the election of five new members to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. This brings the total number of Directors to 11.
The new members are: Joel Engel, Jon A. Soderberg, Matthew G. Given, Eric R. Allyn and D. Kenan Smith:
-- Joel S. Engel will serve as a Director for a two-year term until 2008. Engel is a retired Chief Technology Officer of Ameritech and is currently President of JSE Consulting. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Syracuse Research Corporation and also serves on a number of National Research Council panels. Engel holds a BSEE from the City College of New York, an MSEE from MIT and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn.
-- Jon A. Soderberg will serve as a Director for a one-year term. Currently, the Vice President, Sourcing, Service & Logistics of Welch Allyn, Inc., Soderberg is also a Board Member of the Allyn Foundation and is a Member of the Board of Directors for the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce. He holds a BA of History and Philosophy from Goucher College in Baltimore, MD and a Juris Doctorate from Washington and Lee University School of Law.
-- Matthew G. Given will serve as a Director for a two-year term until 2008. Given is currently the CEO and founder of Silverline Payroll, a payroll processing services company. Given holds an MBA from Clemson University.
-- Eric R. Allyn will serve as a Director for a three-year term until 2009. Currently, Allyn is the Vice President, Special Markets of Welch Allyn, Inc. and also serves as a Board Member of the Allyn Foundation, the Auburn Memorial Hospital Foundation, and the NYS Hospital Review and Planning Committee. He holds a BA degree from Dartmouth College and an MBA in Business Administration from the University of Virginia.
-- D. Kenan Smith will serve as a Director for a three-year term until 2009. Smith is a Financial Consultant and Registered Investment Advisor for UVEST Financial Services Group. Smith holds a BS of Business Administration from Appalachian State University.
"These five individuals represent the best in business and technology intelligence. We're confident that Joel, Jon, Matthew, Eric and Kenan will help guide Hand Held Products towards achieving our corporate goals and objectives as we continue to aggressively grow our business on a global scale," said Kevin Jost, CEO, Hand Held Products, Inc.
About Hand Held Products
With headquarters in Central New York, Hand Held Products is a worldwide leading manufacturer of image based data collection systems for mobile, wireless, and transaction processing solutions. Through its proprietary Adaptus(TM) Imaging Technology platform, Hand Held Products is dedicated to delivering innovative imaging solutions, reliability and durability to its customers and partners through more than 30 sales offices and hundreds of resellers. Hand Held Products is a privately held company and is represented in every major market and geographic region of the world. To find out how Hand Held Products can help you at the point-of-sale, on the sales floor, in the warehouse or on the delivery truck, call us at 1-800-582-4263. Or visit us at www.handheld.com.
This material contains forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in this publication. While Hand Held Products believes its statements to be reliable, all information/projections/statements/opinions expressed herein are based on information available as of the date of publication and are subject to change without notice.
Monday, 06 March 2006
CALGARY, Alberta --- 03 March 2006 --- SMART Technologies Inc. announces that DTC Worldwide, an independent UK research firm, reported that, as at December 2005, the company remains the number one brand in the interactive whiteboard market segment and has increased its share of the UK market to 56.8 per cent for 2005, up from 50.3 per cent in 2004. The closest competitor had 27 per cent of the market, down from 33.2 per cent in 2004. The total market share of all other brands remains at 16 per cent. SMART achieved record annual sales of 56,707 SMART Board interactive whiteboards in 2005. The UK continues to be the largest interactive whiteboard market in the world.
In 2003 and 2004, the UK Department for Education and Skills made £50 million available for the purchase of interactive whiteboards. This initiative was the catalyst for interactive whiteboards to be widely installed in UK schools, a significant initiative in creating 21st-century classrooms aimed at enhancing the learning environments and futures for UK students. All 208 education authorities, including those in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, use SMART products. According to the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) 2004 Performance indicator report, 60 per cent of primary schools and 90 per cent of secondary schools have interactive whiteboards. For more information, visit www.becta.org.uk.
"SMART is committed to producing superior, easy-to-use and affordable interactive whiteboard products and software tools for educators," says Nancy Knowlton, SMART's president and co-CEO. "Our market-segment leadership reaffirms the advantages of SMART products in classrooms and continues to position us as the clear preference for UK educators. We believe a significant contributing factor for this preferential position is that we incorporate feedback from educators and design our product to meet their current and future needs."
Education authorities around the globe, including those in the UK, the U.S., Mexico and Australia, are adopting interactive whiteboards to improve student learning in schools and develop skills that are vitally important for a 21st-century global workforce. Many school jurisdictions have standardized on SMART Board interactive whiteboards because they enhance teacher productivity and improve student learning outcomes.
About SMART
SMART Technologies Inc. is both the industry pioneer and global market segment leader in easy-to-use interactive whiteboards and other group collaboration tools. The award-winning SMART Board interactive whiteboard is the most widely installed interactive whiteboard in the world. Many school jurisdictions have standardized on the product, which is used to provide interactive learning opportunities and enhance student achievement in more than 250,000 classrooms spanning every U.S. state, every Local Authority in the UK and more than 75 countries. SMART products also include interactive pen displays, interactive digital signage, wireless slates and software. Using SMART products, groups can access and share the information they need to meet, teach, train and present. SMART's education customers include New York City Board of Education (U.S.), Oxford University (UK), Tokyo Nampei Senior High School (Japan), Barnier Public School (Australia), University of Ottawa (Canada), United World College (Singapore), Stephen-Hawking-Schule Neckargemuend (Germany), Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (U.S.) and Harvard University (U.S.).
SMART is a private company founded in 1987. Employing more than 800 people, SMART is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, with assembly facilities in Ottawa, and offices in Bonn, Tokyo, New York City and Washington DC. SMART has been issued and maintains a broad portfolio of patents with numerous other U.S., Canadian and foreign patents pending. In 1992 SMART formed a strategic alliance with Intel Corporation that resulted in joint product development and marketing efforts, and Intel's equity ownership in SMART. SMART products are sold through dealers across North America and distributors worldwide. For more information, visit www.smarttech.com.
For more information, contact
Marina Geronazzo
Manager, Public Relations
SMART Technologies Inc.
1207 — 11 Avenue SW, Suite 300
Calgary, AB T3C 0M5
CANADA
Phone +1.403.802.2558
Fax +1.403.228.2500
www.smarttech.com
Wednesday, 01 March 2006
DiTRONICS Financial Services, a Las Vegas, NV based provider of ATMs, cash advance, and check cashing services to the gaming industry, has outsourced phone technical support and dispatch services to Solvport, LLC, a Portland, OR, based servicing company beginning February 1, 2006. Tiffany Milicevic, Director of Operations for DiTRONICS said the move seemed logical based on the excellent service Solvport has provided DiTRONICS over the past year. Tiffany Milicevic also added, "It has proven to be a great benefit for our company to have someone on the other end of the phone who understands the business when a merchant/customer calls with ATM issues."
Solvport will service over 530 of DiTRONICS' ATMs nationwide, providing technical support via the phone as well as all dispatching outside the state of Nevada. Solvport will also handle all of DiTRONICS installations outside the state of Nevada.
"DiTRONICS' need for 24/7 phone technical support and dispatch assistance fits exactly in to the niche offering that we are trying to provide ," says Wayne Vandekraak, President & CEO of Solvport.
Solvport currently provides phone support for approximately 80,000 ATM locations throughout the US.
Tuesday, 28 February 2006
MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 28, 2006--Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW) today announced that Richard S. Hill, 53, has joined its Board of Directors. Mr. Hill will bring the number of independent directors on Arrow's ten-person Board to nine, continuing Arrow's commitment to maintaining a substantial majority of independent directors. Mr. Hill will also serve on the board's fully independent Audit and Corporate Governance Committees.
"We are delighted to welcome Mr. Hill to our board," stated William E. Mitchell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Arrow. "His extensive global and broad industry experience makes him a valuable addition to our Board and its committees."
Mr. Hill is Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Novellus Systems, Inc., which manufactures, markets and services advanced deposition, surface preparation and chemical mechanical planarization equipment for today's advanced integrated circuits. Mr. Hill was named Chief Executive Officer in 1993, and was appointed Chairman of the Board in 1996. Before joining Novellus, Mr. Hill spent 12 years at Tektronix, Inc. where he held the positions of President, Tektronix Development Company; Vice President of the Test & Measurement Group; and President of Tektronix Components Corporation. Prior to joining Tektronix, Mr. Hill held engineering and management positions at General Electric, Motorola and Hughes Aircraft Company. Mr. Hill holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Illinois and a master's degree in business administration from Syracuse University. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Agere Systems and the University of Illinois Foundation.
Arrow Electronics is a major global provider of products, services and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and computer products. Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Arrow serves as a supply channel partner for nearly 600 suppliers and more than 130,000 original equipment manufacturers, contract manufacturers and commercial customers through a global network of over 270 locations in 53 countries and territories.
CONTACT: For Arrow Electronics, Inc.
Ira M. Birns, 631-847-1657
Vice President and Treasurer
or
Paul J. Reilly, 631-847-1872
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Thursday, 23 February 2006
2006-02-22 Holtsville, NY - Symbol Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:SBL), The Enterprise Mobility Company, today announced the Company has made several changes to its senior management team.
"One of my ongoing priorities has been to develop the best possible leadership team. These individuals are extraordinary professionals with stellar credentials, and I am proud to have them on the Symbol team. Their integrity is beyond reproach, and they possess the steady leadership qualities, professional experience and business acumen that will help Symbol seize new growth opportunities," said Sal Iannuzzi, Symbol president and chief executive officer.
The Company is pleased to announce that Boris Metlitsky has been named senior vice president of the global products group, reporting to President and CEO Sal Iannuzzi. He is responsible for strategy, development and technology innovation in the mobile computing, wireless, advanced data capture, radio frequency identification (RFID) and mobility software product divisions, as well as industrial design. Dr. Metlitsky has been at Symbol for more than 25 years, holding a variety of leadership positions. He has played a vital role in helping Symbol grow from a start-up technology venture to an industry leader. Metlitsky has a Ph. D. in electrical engineering and holds more than 60 patents.
Ray Martino, Jr., a 19-year veteran of Symbol has been named vice president and chief technology officer, reporting to Metlitsky. In this role, Ray will guide Symbol's strategy in the development of new technologies and next-generation products and services to maintain the Company's position as the innovation leader in enterprise mobility. Most recently, he has worked with Symbol's global sales, product and marketing teams to define customer needs and develop end-to-end solutions to best address these needs. Martino earned a bachelor's degree from Drexel University and a master's degree from the University of California at Davis, both in electrical engineering. He also has 14 patents.
Anthony Bartolo has been named vice president and general manager of the RFID division, effective immediately. He will be responsible for Symbol's global RFID programs and go-to-market strategy. Bartolo will also continue his role as general manager of Symbol's wireless infrastructure division, a position he has held since 2004, where he has played an instrumental role in the Company attaining a market-leading position in wireless local area network (WLAN) switches. Heading up both divisions will enable Bartolo to leverage Symbol's radio frequency (RF) expertise and knowledge learned from moving wireless technology from the early adopter to mainstream adoption phase. Prior to Symbol, Bartolo held a variety of senior field engineering, sales and business operations positions at Nortel Networks. He has a bachelor's degree in electronics and communications engineering from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Australia.
Jan Burton has been named vice president of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Operations. She will continue to report to Todd Abbott, senior vice president of worldwide sales. Burton has served as vice president of worldwide channels since joining Symbol in 2003, responsible for Symbol's global partner organization. Under her stewardship, Symbol's PartnerSelect channel program has become the industry standard, partner satisfaction has increased and Symbol reached its goal of having 75 percent of revenue generated through channel distribution. During a 25-year career in the technology industry, Burton has held leadership positions at Avaya, Lucent Technologies, Apple Computer and IBM. Todd Abbott will manage Symbol's channel organization and programs until a search for Burton's replacement is completed.
"With these changes, I believe we are well on our way to achieving our goal of having the best possible leadership team. We also have ongoing searches for a chief financial officer and general counsel, whose appointments will further solidify our senior management team," said Iannuzzi.
For an interim period until a new general counsel is named, Andrew J. Levander of the law firm of Dechert LLP, based in New York City, will provide guidance regarding significant legal issues. Dechert's advice to management will supplement the Company's strong internal legal team, which will continue to be responsible for the legal affairs of the Company. Levander specializes in business and commercial law, and previously was instrumental in providing counsel to Symbol regarding its internal investigation of past accounting practices and has represented Symbol in various litigation matters.
The Company is also announcing that several executives who have made substantial contributions to Symbol's progress during the past several years have chosen to pursue career interests outside of Symbol. Peter Lieb, senior vice president and general counsel; Todd Hewlin, senior vice president of corporate development; and John G. Bruno, senior vice president and general manager of the RFID division, will be leaving the Company. Symbol appreciates their efforts and wishes them well in their future endeavors.
About Symbol Technologies
Symbol Technologies, Inc., The Enterprise Mobility Company, is a recognized worldwide leader in enterprise mobility, delivering products and solutions that capture, move and manage information in real time to and from the point of business activity. Symbol enterprise mobility solutions integrate advanced data capture products, radio frequency identification technology, mobile computing platforms, wireless infrastructure, mobility software and world-class services programs under the Symbol Enterprise Mobility Services brand. Symbol enterprise mobility products and solutions are proven to increase workforce productivity, reduce operating costs, drive operational efficiencies and realize competitive advantages for the world's leading companies.
Tuesday, 21 February 2006
Please describe your company's primary product or service.
Located in the meat, seafood and produce department of retail food stores, ShoptoCook's easy-to-use touch screen kiosk applications wrap the perishable perimeter with interactive media solutions designed to satisfy shoppers, promote the perishable department, and increase sales.
ShoptoCook offers subscription based and turnkey services including hardware and enclosure design and setup, state of the art remote wellness and activity monitoring including web based content management and reporting features, and custom application development.
ShoptoCook's suite of retail food applications also includes health and wellness, wine and cheese, price checker, aisle locater, and loyalty card integration. The turnkey plug and play design provides retailers a complete retail food sales and marketing solution with a proven ROI.
What makes your company unique?
ShoptoCook combines professional food industry expertise with leading edge technology expertise to offer clients a total interactive media solution.
We understand the food retail and manufacturing business, the shopper and the technology.
What is your marketing philosophy for the kiosk industry?
We are a media company, in the food industry, that uses kiosks as a technology to deliver services direct to shoppers. Our customers are senior executives of retail food chains responsible for marketing strategy.
What other business sectors do you operate in?
We focus only on the Retail Food industry.
Give a brief history of the company
The firm was founded in 2001 by food industry professionals with technology and product development experience. Creativity and technical expertise combined with constant attention to the needs of the shopper are responsible in part for the organization's success. Our applications can be found across the country in the largest retail chains and independent wholesalers.
Why did you join The Self-Service & Kiosk Association?
The industry is changing rapidly, price points are declining, and new solutions emerge regularly so it's a great tool to stay abreast of the industry.
What do you like about our industry? What are some of the challenges?
The industry is dynamic which creates opportunity. The challenge is selling kiosks as a strategic tool to solve business problems and getting senior executives involved beyond IT.
What does the future hold for your company's success in the kiosk industry?
We develop solutions to meet current demand with an eye on the future.
On-demand technology offerings will grow dramatically in the next few years and we intend to be the leader in developing innovative solutions to meet the retail food industry's needs.
Tuesday, 07 February 2006
Gesturetek cofounder and President Vincent John Vincent, 46, points the way to the future of interactive interfaces. Educated at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Vincent has a degree in psychotherapy. He co-created Gesturetek in the mid ‘80s to build video gesture control technology, allowing users to control devices using only natural motions, rather than hold or touch anything.
His company's next generation input devices include GestureExtreme, allowing the users on-screen emersion in real-time animation; GroundFX, an animated, interactive floor projection on which multiple users can walk on, to control the environment; and GestPoint, allows users to control a device from a distance using only there natural gestures.
What were you doing before your involvement in kiosk industry?
I co-created the technology now popular in public kiosk installations with my partner Francis MacDougall in the mid 80's as an interactive art experience. Together we installed hundreds of systems in gallerias, and museums around the world, although I Mr. Vincent used the technology as the foundation for public art performances. The technology, for many years, was used as a purely immersive experience where the users saw themselves on a screen surrounded by interactive animation that they controlled with their full body. This has since evolved into our three distinct successful product lines.
What was your first kiosk project?
An installation for CITY TV / CHUM Television. CEO Moses Znaimer commissioned GestureTek Inc. as part of the Toronto Arts awards for up and coming talent to build and install a kiosk The installation sat in front of the then-CEO'S office and was visited by hundreds of media from around the world.
Where will the industry be in 5 yrs?
Large interactive screens will dominate and will be fully compatible with mobile devices, where personal information can be exchanged via personal hand-helds.
What has been the biggest missed opportunity in the industry, recently?
Most companies have not responded to the digital signage and self service markets yet — there has been such a delay in advancement due to the lack of acknowledgement of the ease of use for of large interactive displays.
Wednesday, 25 January 2006
Describe your company's primary product or service.
TECHnical TRANSportation Inc (TECH TRANS) is a nationwide white glove inside delivery carrier with expertise in delivery, set up & installation of self service kiosks, self service drop boxes, self service ATMs, diagnostic medical instruments (ie: ultrasounds, blood analyzers, anesthesia units, lasers, etc), telecom instruments, high end computers, and other sensitive large electronic instruments. TECH TRANS also provides relocation services, warranty swap out services, and removal-field returns services of this type electronic equipment.
What makes your company unique?
TECH TRANS' only business is the transport and inside delivery of high tech heavyweight electronics. We have more high tech delivery agents in the 48 states than the two largest van lines combined. We provide complete nationwide coverage, speed and flexibility. Our transit times are whatever transit days that are required by our customer (next day air, 2nd day air, 3-5 day air ride road service) with white glove inside delivery, vs. the traditional 2-3 week time transits provided by the majority of the household goods carriers. We can track orders and provide reports 24/7 on our secured access web site at www.techtrans.com
What is your marketing philosophy for the kiosk industry?
We see an exact parallel between the kiosk industry and the medical industry.
For the kiosk manufacturer, we can provide transportation and white glove multiple man liftgate inside delivery direct to the end user site eliminating warehousing, handling, and secondary transportation and other added costs. TECH TRANS also provides warranty replacement swap out service, relocation service and removal-return service.
For the kiosk distributor, we see them experiencing the same challenges as the medical distributor. Many distributors have the burden of, after making the sale, having to then be responsible for receiving the units, finding available warehouse space, arranging a delivery vehicle as well as delivery and install personnel and scheduling. We have seen many distributors that top out their sales effectiveness. I.e. The more they sell the more administrative work they perform. Having TECH TRANS pick up their units, transport them,
warehouse them, and deliver & install them means they get to spend 100% of their time selling placements without ever having to see or touch the actual units.
The other challenge that we have seen with distributors is that they may have a
geographic sales territory, (say for example, the State of Florida), however, their real effective sales area is a 30 minute radius of their base city. They have not really been effectively selling in any other cities in their geographic territory. Using TECH TRANS allows the distributor to freely and effectively sell in their entire sales geographic territory (state wide for example) without the burden of warehouse receiving, delivery, set up and installation.
What other business sectors do you operate in?
We provide services to those industries that ship sensitive expensive electronic
instruments requiring fast air ride transit, multiple man liftgate white glove
inside delivery to the end user site, warranty replacements, relocations, and field returns. This includes ATMs, drop boxes (ie: TECH TRANS performs all the nationwide placements, removals, swap outs, and removal/returns of all the self service drop box shipping kiosks for Federal Express), diagnostic medical instruments, mainframe computers, servers, storage instrument towers, telecom instruments, and large electronic consumer electronics.
Give a brief history of the company.
TECH TRANS was founded in 1990 to provide an alternative service for shippers of high tech electronic instruments whose only high tech carrier source was the traditional furniture household transportation carriers. Today, TECH TRANS provides a full menu of logistics and specialized services for high tech instrument shipping with fast, flexible time definite transit times and full web page visibility 24/7
Why did you join the Self Service Kiosk Association?
We joined the Self Service Kiosk Association because we see the exact same parallels, needs, and logistical challenges faced by the mfgs and distributors of kiosk instruments as the mfgs and distributors of medical, telecom, ATM, drop box, and consumer electronic instruments face each day. Industries have needs and challenges that TECH TRANS has successfully serviced day to day since 1990.
Monday, 23 January 2006
Please describe your company's primary product or service.
Hand Held Products offers highly-functional, low cost customer interaction devices. These kiosks are designed to read 1D and 2D bar codes, accept payments via MSR or RF Tags, display information and enable real-time customer interaction — all in a form that takes up minimal floor space.
What makes your company unique?
Our perspective is that the attributes people want from a kiosk are commonly found at the point-of-sale. We chose to take those attributes and design our kiosk around them, thereby increasing functional familiarity and making the device more welcoming to the user.
In addition, incorporation of the Adaptus Imaging Technology platform into our kiosks makes them more versatile and easier to use than those featuring other technologies for bar code reading.
Finally, many features found in our kiosks as standard, including protective overlays and card readers, are typically offered as priced options from other manufacturers.
What is your marketing philosophy for the kiosk industry?
Our segment of the kiosk industry is in its early stages of growth and continuously developing. We believe our company is positioned well and will focus on educating the end users on the how the mini-kiosk class devices will help them reach their goals.
What other business sectors do you operate in?
Hand Held Products designs and manufactures handheld imagers, mobile computers, transaction terminals, verification products and image engines for key vertical markets including Retail, Transportation, and Healthcare.
Give a brief history of the company.
Established in 1972, Hand Held Products is a leading manufacturer of data collection and communication solutions designed specifically for mobile, in-premise, and transaction processing applications. With operations throughout the world, Hand Held Products is dedicated to solving business challenges based on a thorough understanding of each customer's unique requirements and goals.
Why did you join Selfservice.org?
We joined Kiosks.org because we feel it is a key organization that understands and has a pulse on the kiosk industry.
What do you like about our industry? What are some of the challenges?
What I like about the kiosk industry is that it is challenging and ever changing. We are positioned well to become a leader for many years to come. Some of the most intriguing technological advances are and will continue to come from the vendors in the kiosk industry.
What does the future hold for your company's success in the kiosk industry?
Hand Held Products future in the kiosk industry will be dependent on the growth and adoption of the mini-kiosk class of devices. They will drive the growth of the market and push the technological envelope for the next few years.
Thursday, 12 January 2006
Entrepreneurial spirit and a vision of the future lead KING's Robert Giblett, vice president, North America sales and marketing, from his own VOIP software development firm into the self service and kiosk industry. When he's not busy predicting the changing tide of the self-service industry, he's riding waves in his 35' power boat at Georgian Bay.
Describe your first kiosk project.
My first project was with the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. They wanted to set-up an interactive digital classroom for kids. Ancient artifacts were displayed on desktop kiosks in high-res 3D imaging that enabled the kids to interact with the image by rotating it, flipping it end-over-end etc. It was so successful that the Discovery Channel did a spotlight on it.
Describe the most significant recent changes in the industry.
I think one of the most significant changes has been the enabling of technology that provided us with the ability to develop in-demand consumer centric applications incorporated with a very high user experience.
Where will the industry be in five years?
I believe we will see more complex applications being deployed. No longer will kiosks simply be informational or used to access a company LAN but they will be fully integrated to back-end legacy systems with leading edge technologies like contactless RFID to automate the payment process, provide sophisticated user profiling etc.
What has been the biggest "missed opportunity" in the industry recently?
I really don't think there has been a missed opportunity as the industry is still developing and finding its way. I think opportunities that were passed over several years ago were due to a lack of supporting technology that will no doubt end up being addressed again soon.
If you could grant any wish for the kiosk industry, what would it be, and why?
I would wish for more success stories of kiosk deployments because as the word gets out that kiosks are been used successfully to increase sales, reduce overhead and provide a great user experience then the industry as a whole will grow stronger.
Wednesday, 21 December 2005
Metropolitan Sales has offered point-of-sale hardware to resellers in the U.S. since 1980. The company has ridden the rising tide of self-service by offering custom system design, integration and configuration services, as well as deployment and logistical support. The company also offers a full line of Epson printers designed for kiosk applications.
Please describe your company's primary product or service.
Metropolitan Sales Company is a value-added distributor of point-of-sale, barcoding and kiosk hardware.
What makes your company unique?
Our staff is extremely knowledgeable within the kiosk industry so we are able to determine and implement the best solutions for our customers.
What is your marketing philosophy for the kiosk industry?
The Epson name is synonymous with advanced, reliable printing technology. Metropolitan Sales offers a full line of Epson printers designed for kiosk applications. Our goal is to promote that Epson quality within the kiosk industry.
What other business sectors do you operate in?
Metropolitan Sales provides solutions in the hospitality, retail, supermarket, banking, entertainment, health, education and warehousing markets.
Give a brief history of the company.
Metropolitan Sales has been providing POS hardware to resellers across the United States since 1980. We offer the most advanced products in the industry at competitive pricing. As the kiosk industry has grown, we have grown with it by offering custom system integration and design services, systems configuration, deployment and logistical support.
Why did you join the Self-Service & Kiosk Association?
We want to increase our exposure within the kiosk industry. Epson printers are renowned for their quality and reliability in the consumer and point-of-sales markets. This same Epson quality is available in the kiosk industry as well.
What do you like about our industry? What are some of the challenges?
The kiosk industry is a relatively new market that is only beginning to hit its stride. The possibilities for kiosks are limitless. We take pride in providing printing solutions for the multitude of applications that are out there. We also look towards the future to determine what our customers' needs will be down the road.
What does the future hold for your company in the kiosk industry?
Our future looks bright. As the kiosk industry grows, we will grow with it by offering high-quality solutions for our customers' applications.
What is your title?
Business development manager.
Metropolitan Sales Company
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