Datacap Sees Promise In Cloud-Based POS

Payments are becoming an increasingly mobile activity — and consumers and retailers alike are reaping the benefits of the evolution. Retailers gain the ability to facilitate payments at various spots throughout an establishment (think restaurants), which means a better customer experience, faster customer turnover and improved cash flow, among other perks.

But several pieces need to be in place to ensure that the flow of information remains uninterrupted – and that requires seamless integration between hardware, software, the cloud … and the consumer and merchants themselves.

That was never easy, but has become more complicated now that the transition to EMV is truly underway.

To that end, Datacap Systems has introduced new hardware and cloud-based solutions that seek to address two trends: the inexorable shift to EMV and the continued demand by consumers for a variety of payments options at the point of sale.

On this latter point, Datacap has cited estimates by Transparency Market Research that project POS terminal sales to grow at a CAGR of nearly 12 percent through the next several years, which begs questions about upgrading terminals and peripherals to accept EMV-enabled payments.

Datacap said that its recently introduced IPTran LT Mobile hardware can help smooth the transition to EMV and drive mobile POS. The company said the hardware can be offered through two configurations: a standalone device, which in terms of dimensions stands roughly the same as a deck of playing cards, or the APG Cash Drawer.

Both configurations, according to Datacap, fit well with mobile settings in any store environment and across any number of “drawer” settings such as scanners or receipt printers. With the development community in mind, the ability is there to process payments across all major processors. All hardware, the company says, operates across one API, which means seamless integration across the cloud, the hardware and the actual POS.

Datacap said that the development community will typically integrate side controls that are configured to work with iOS, Android and Windows to facilitate wireless communication. The developers also have been moving to embrace the browser, said the company, which has led to the creation of the TranCloud solution. The cooperation between the hardware, the cloud and the peripherals helps power EMV devices without the need to pass cardholder data, sensitive as it is, through the POS itself.

In addition to the EMV security, the IPTran hardware and the TranCloud solutions allow for credit, debit and loyalty transactions. Expanding a bit on EMV, Datacap said its technology drives the PIN pad at POS, which means that EMV development and certification rest with Datacap rather than its customers.

By bringing the hardware and the app together in one place, said Datacap, there is no need for individual development or per transaction fees and all data flow, via the cloud, remains reliable and secure – and on this last point, there’s the option to do point to point encryption or tokenization. And, the company explained further, the cloud, in tandem with open architecture, means that payments can be done across all POS, from mPOS to cash registers to vending machines.