Friday, September 7, 2018
During the conference, Toshiba and Ingenico disclosed near-term plans to launch a co-branded retail solution, following a lengthy discovery process. Steve Markham, senior vice president of strategy and portfolio at Toshiba Global Commerce, said Toshiba will improve the checkout experience by leveraging Ingenico's Telium TETRA platform, fixed and mobile solutions, estate management tools, security methods, and support services. Toshiba and Ingenico's combined capabilities and platforms will "enable grocers and retailers of all sizes to differentiate themselves from their competitors and drive loyalty with their customers," he stated.
Jennifer Miles, executive vice president of North America for Ingenico Group, added, "Working with an industry leader like Toshiba allows us to tailor our seamless payment terminals to meet the unique demands of grocery and retail, enabling businesses to offer an improved customer experience that, ultimately, helps achieve business goals,"
Miles noted a key driver in the partnership was providing Toshiba Global Commerce's support and maintenance programs throughout the entire customer lifecycle. As a software provider and systems integrator, Toshiba is uniquely positioned to bring this model to life, while facilitating the sale, support and updating of Ingenico Group's smart terminals, she said.
The near-term rollout will combine Toshiba's SurePOS ACE and TCx Pay solutions with Ingenico Group's Telium TETRA platform, using Ingenico's Lane/7000 and Lane/8000 smart terminals, according to sources. The terminals are purpose-built for in-lane grocery, pharmacy and retail markets, they stated.
The companies expect the partnership to provide additional benefits, including the following:
Mark Bunney, director of strategic accounts and go to market at Ingenico Group North America, said the partnership was well received at the conference. Both companies are equally committed to improving customer experience for retailers, merchants and consumers, and their co-branded solutions reflect a spirit of openness and collaboration, he said.
Additional presentations to select focus groups are taking place on Sept. 7, 2018, the final day of the conference. Focus groups have been an integral part of the discovery and development process for the cross-functional teams involved in hardware and software integration projects, Bunney noted.
Bunney recalled that five years ago, merchants would be on the front lines of testing and rolling out equipment. "We're not in that world, although there are days when we wish we still were," he said. Today, customer labs are usually the first stop for vetting equipment, followed by pilots in limited lanes or stores. The need for additional capabilities is usually identified during the pilot stage, he stated, and today's software integrations rely heavily on apps and APIs.
"No one company can single-handedly improve the customer experience," Bunney said. "To drive continuous innovation, you need experts in every area ‒ from POS to payments."
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