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The point-of-sale systems used at restaurants, in stores, and nearly every other retail environment are about to get an Android upgrade. Casio has announced the first (correct me if I’m wrong) complete system that entrusts Android with everything from inventory to calculating correct change. The VX-100 EPOS isn’t your ordinary PoS system, however. It can be remotely managed via email. The system will also take reservations and create customer databases. It’s based on Android 2.2 and sports an ARM Cortx-A9 dual-core processor at 533MHz and ships with a web browser, email client, and other productivity apps pre-installed (including the cash register software). The real question is: does it support Android Market? Nothing beats playing some Angry birds between ringing up sweaters at H&M.
Casio launch VX-100 EPOS terminal using Android™ operating system
LONDON, October 21, 2011 – Casio Computer Co. Ltd., today announced the release of the stylishly designed VX-100 business support terminal. Customer relationship management, reservation management and sales management applications will be available on this terminal. Associated with those applications, the terminal provides business operators with a variety of data that they can use to stimulate business demand. The VX-100 business support terminal will begin shipping in December 2011.
The VX-100 is a compact EPOS terminal equipped with a colour main display with full-touch screen operation, a sub-display that is great for showing information to customers, and a built-in thermal printer to generate receipts. The VX-100 is designed for use in SME retail stores, and works as both a standalone system or as part of a networked system.
The VX-100 comes installed with a sales management application offering a host of data management capabilities. With the optional cash drawer, the terminal can also function as a cash register.
Additional customer relationship management and reservation management applications can be installed to enable database management of the purchase history of individual customers. The purchase history can then be used to identify preferred customers and formulate marketing strategies tailored to them.
The VX-100 EPOS terminal uses the Android™ operating system, and Casio has provided a software development kit that supports the VX-100 hardware. Casio plans to leverage the VX-100 to support a variety of businesses such as retail stores, restaurants and other service enterprises by developing its own additional applications as well as facilitating development of applications for the VX-100 by other developers of Android applications.
Application Software for VX-100 Business Support Terminal
Sales Management
Conduct a multitude of sales calculations including calculations by product (items, departments and groups), time and clerk. An optional cash drawer can be added to operate the VX-100 as a cash register.
Customer Relationship Management
Build a customer database associated with sales management data. Analyze the purchase frequency and monetary amounts for each customer, in order to identify create a list of preferred customers. Operators can send emails to a list of preferred customers who have agreed to receive them, or they can specify automatic discounts when ringing up bills for preferred customers, all associated with the sales management application.
Reservation Management
Take various kinds of orders and reservations from customers, including reservations for meals. Use the customer relationship management and sales management applications to manage databases’ of customer names and reservation details including names, number of persons and time, all from the VX-100.
Remote Control By E-mail
Receive e-mail messages from a cellular phone or computer, and automatically execute instructions contained in the messages. Even check sales data from a separate location, an ideal feature for busy business managers.
What a PoS
Beat me to it. :D
Meh, why not just use some other flavor of Linux. Android was never designed for this. I guess they want to get the cost down by using the same hardware as cell phones. Perhaps that is good enough reason. Then again no reason you can’t get another flavor of Linux to work on the hardware.
this actually interests me greatly. i’ve owned a few restaurants/bars in the past and have been considering opening a new one. one thing i have always hated was pos systems run on windows. hopefully this system will have market capbilities, yet have a way to lock that shit down so only certain people can access it. nothing would be worse than an employee playing angry birds instead of working.
I love the linux based systems. I’ve used one windows based one and it was TERRIBLE!!!!!
usually when I see PoS it means Piece of Sh*t. But thats impossible with Android in the same sentence
that’s exactly what i thought too xD
Counterexample: I have a PoS Motorola Cliq running Android.
I beg to differ, Have you played with some of those cheap chines resistive screen $100 tablets running Android. Trust me they are Pieces of Shi*t
Let’s not get ridiculous. I love Android, but you don’t seriously think that just because something runs on Android, it’s automatically awesome? I can think of LOTS of devices that run on Android that are a steaming PoS.
Wouldn’t it be a lark if they included NFC support directly into the device! Built-in Google Wallet support!
That was my first thought, too. I think they would’ve needed at least Android 2.3 for that, though.
True, but this seems more like a “version 1.0” of this device. A first-try, so-to-speak. Just to get something out on the market quickly to establish a presence.
I imagine subsequent devices will have newer versions like 2.3.x and/or ICS.
POS (Point of Sale) in other words checkout tills.
There is another android system here
http://www.aptito.com/android-point-of-sale-system/
That’s awesome. A site about an Android PoS and the only screenshots show it running on an iPad!
It would be awesome for it to allow waiters and waitresses to take and charge your order from a Android tablet.
And with good android tablets becoming cheaper and cheaper every day (see Amazon Kindle Fire), such a thing could be very lucrative to a dedicated developer! Hmmm… I’mma go talk to my developer friend. =)
Dualcore 533 MHz CPU? I’d like to see that in phones.
Indeed. It should be much better than those ARM 11 800 Mhz in some of the low-end Android phones.
I have a built a commercial PoS in java and have thought about porting it to android many times, the only thing that stops me is the compatibility/drivers support of receipt printers and barcode scanners in Android.
Lets put cyanogenmod on it :D
I wonder what it will cost. My father in law just bought one for his bar/ restaurant and he spent 70,000 for one!!!
is this a good or a bad PoS register? I like the idea.
URGH would suck so bad, we use android powered tablets at our POS for order taking, they are so bad and “force close” every 5 mins.
“It can be remotely managed via email.”
will be interesting to see hackers hacking into a large companies POS and causing havoc with purchases, sales, inventory, money… etc Security would need to be idiot proof for customers not to get affected especially is email controlled machines get internet access.
most company’s that would have to worry about hackers don’t keep there registers or computers on the internet they run there own intranet the only ones that would actually use the internet would be mom and pop shops
If the PoS can connect to the net, then an employee could always try to connect it to his WiFi hotspot or MiFi or another WiFi connection unless there is security built into the device to prevent unauthorized internet access or email execution of commands etc.
Assuming or even THINKING that any Joe Blow employee is going to have free reign over accessing the net, installing any apps, etc. is simply foolish. In other words, it will be a non-issue.
My brother works at Wendy’s and they just replaced their registers with iPads. I’m an Android guy though. But this idea isn’t really new though. Something that Apple should remember is that just because its the first at something, that doesn’t make it the best. Lol
THE ANDROID ROBOTS ARE TAKING OVER THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so basicaly a tablet can now be used as a pos if you have the apps from this machine a square reader and use the camera as a bar code scanner.