Articles By Jim Roddy

  1. Lively Media Panel Opens VARTECH 2014 9/18/2014

    Value-added distributor BlueStar turned the tables on members of the channel media at its VARTECH conference in New Orleans Thursday. The day one general session opened with BlueStar Global Marketing Manager Dean Reverman asking publishing executives and editors questions about trends and best practices for solutions providers and IT vendors.

  2. APG's Bergeron Talks Sensible Solutions — Not Sexy Technologies — At RetailNOW 8/18/2014

    Sexy technologies dominate the headlines at most channel trade shows, and RetailNOW 2014 in Orlando was no different. Tablets, mobile payments, interactive digital signage, and cloud POS certainly deserve your attention. But I was reminded during Stephen Bergeron’s RetailNOW presentation Aug. 6 that we shouldn't overlook sensible solutions that aren't flashy but help merchants.

  3. RSPA Passes Chairperson Gavel To BSM's Roddy 8/7/2014

    Business Solutions magazine (BSM) President Jim Roddy became 2014-15 RSPA (Retail Solutions Providers Association) Board Chairperson on Tuesday when 2013-14 Chair Lynn Skurla passed the gavel to him during a ceremony at RetailNOW in Orlando, FL.

  4. As-A-Service Business Model Gains Traction On RetailNOW Stage 8/7/2014

    I was thrilled the as-a-Service business model was discussed often during the final day of RetailNOW 2014 on Aug. 6 in Orlando, FL. The concept was featured prominently in the 8:00 a.m. “View From The Top” leadership panel — dominated by hardware vendors and distributors — and was the sole topic of the 9:00 a.m. session that followed in the conference’s main auditorium.

  5. Helgeson Forecasts The Future Of Payments At RetailNOW 8/7/2014

    With apologies to E.F. Hutton, when Henry Helgeson talks about payments, people listen. The CEO of Merchant Warehouse, who is regularly quoted in Forbes and other national media outlets, drew a large crowd to his Aug. 5 RetailNOW presentation titled “The Future Of Payments.”

  6. RetailNOW Panel: Channel Vital To Mobile Payment Adoption 8/7/2014

    You know a topic is popular at a trade show when the hotel staff needs to bring in extra seats to accommodate the previously standing-room-only crowd. That was the case Aug. 5 at RetailNOW 2014 in Orlando for a panel discussion titled “Driving Commerce With Mobile Payment.”

  7. First Thoughts On RSPA RetailNOW 2014 8/4/2014

    RetailNOW 2014 officially kicked off today. Despite the retail and hospitality IT channel's most important conference just getting started, a lot has already happened.

  8. HIMSS Executive To Headline Smart VAR Healthcare Summit 7/9/2014

    John Daniels, Vice President of Strategic Relations for HIMSS, a global organization focused on better health through information technology, will keynote the Smart VAR Healthcare Summit, powered by ScanSource and Business Solutions, on Aug. 21 in Chicago.

  9. Peer-To-Peer: VAR Best Practices For Rebranding Your Company 6/3/2014

    Jason Cowan of Spark Solutions Group — formerly Cowans Restaurant Solutions — talks about the process of changing your business’ name, obstacles you could face, and strong reasons to consider making this change.

  10. From ASCII Columbus: Increase Your Sales Through Neuromarketing 5/30/2014

    Marketing consultant and author Roger Dooley, the afternoon educational keynote at the ASCII Success Summit on May 29, said neuroscientists believe we use only a fraction of our brain power. Then why do I feel like my skull is going to explode after trying to absorb the wealth of information Dooley shared with the nearly 100 channel executives at the ASCII event?