VAI-VeriFone Partnership to Deliver Retail Application Integration

Published: June 4, 2007

by Dan Burger

If you are keeping an eye on electronic payment technology for retailers, the recent partnership between VAI and VeriFone has resulted in the integration of payment transaction middleware and point of sale (POS) software that leaves the best products of only a few years ago in the dust.

Officials at VAI, formerly known as Vormittag Associates, describe the partnership as "part of a larger strategic effort by VAI to increase the firm's global reach to customers in the retail market."

In the retail marketplace, VAI's leading product is S2K for Retail. It provides POS, accounting, inventory management, customer relationship management, purchasing, warehouse management, and e-commerce functionality. It is described in company literature as a way to "eliminate costly delays and allow retailers to make informed decisions--key capabilities needed to compete in the global marketplace."

VAI brought in VeriFone because of its electronic payment technology and the upgrade that offers to the retail portion of VAI's customer base. That base also is heavily weighted toward distribution, manufacturing, and service industries.

VeriFone's MX870 and RiTA Server will be combined with VAI's S2K for Retail application to offer retailers credit card transactions and direct updates to their enterprise resource planning (ERP) package in real time.

VeriFone's MX870 has features such as full-motion video, a 65,536-color display, and high-quality digital sound that provides opportunities for branding, promotion, and advertising. The RiTA Server is a highly scalable transaction middleware piece that supports high-volume, multi-threaded transaction processing. It accepts major credit cards, supports a range of processors and connection methods, and processes credit, debit, purchasing card (I, II & III), gift/loyalty, and check transactions.

Kevin Beasley, VAI's chief information officer, commented on the partnership by saying, "VAI looks to technology leaders to identify innovative solutions that can advance our product line. VeriFone's MX870 not only adds value to our S2K for Retail package, but also yields client benefits. VeriFone's RiTA Server payment middleware, used in conjunction with MX870, allows Internet e-tailers the ability to handle Web or in-store transactions quickly and easily. These solutions expand their market reach in previously unattainable ways."

This partnership comes just months after VAI teamed up with EXTOL in a product integration partnership designed to improve EDI capabilities and supply chain collaboration.

VAI is headquartered in Ronkonkoma, New York, with branch offices in Miami, Orlando, Chicago, plus Newport Beach and Oroville, California.

RELATED STORIES

VAI-EXTOL Integration Benefits Customers

VAI Says 'No Thanks' to the Quick Buck

VAI to Resell iSecurity Suite from Raz-Lee

                     Post this story to del.icio.us
               Post this story to Digg
    Post this story to Slashdot