Tech Trends: New Options On POS Menu For Hospitality Customers

By Brian Albright, Business Solutions magazine.

With the economic forecast improving and consumer spending on the rise, there are opportunities for VARs in the hospitality space as restaurants and hotels look to upgrade capital equipment. Companies in this market need to upgrade their point of sale (POS) systems to meet new compliance requirements and take advantage of improved functionality.

The restaurant market in particular requires a specialized approach. These businesses are typically independent, lack internal IT resources, and have unique equipment needs. "The restaurant environment is much more hostile to technology than a traditional retail store," says Brad Tracy, vice president of retail channel sales at NCR. "There are liquids, grease, and other contaminants present, which means that POS terminals must be ruggedized. This holds for peripherals as well."

It is critical that products in a hospitality application stay in operation 24/7, because these businesses cannot afford to halt activity at any point during the day or week. Backup service and recovery are crucial. "The hospitality market demands uptime from both the software and the hardware," says Kevin Egyed, general manager, United States, at Aures Technologies. "It also requires immediate support and service attention." Hospitality customers tend to buy based on price, so VARs should take a consultative approach and stress the value-added features of software, hardware, services, and support. New technology also presents opportunities to expand POS sales beyond traditional terminals.

Hospitality customers tend to buy based on price, so VARs should take a consultative approach and stress the value-added features of software, hardware, services, and support. New technology also presents opportunities to expand POS sales beyond traditional terminals.