RSPA Awards Presented at RetailNOW 2014

Orlando, FL, August 22, 2014 --(PR.com)-- The Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA) announced their 2014 Innovative Solutions and Vendor of Excellence award winners at their annual tradeshow and educational event, RetailNOW, on Tuesday, August 5. In a dramatic shift from past awards events, the RSPA opened the awards ceremony to all RetailNOW attendees and modified it to be a shorter, high energy reception. As a result, more than 500 attended this year.

The only awards dedicated to excellence in the retail technology industry, the Vendor of Excellence awards and Innovative Solutions Awards (co-sponsored by Vertical Systems Reseller Magazine) and are singular recognitions for those companies providing products, services and support to retail technology resellers and end users.

For seven years, the RSPA and Vertical Systems Reseller (VSR)’s Innovative Solutions Awards have honored those resellers who have created (or been a part of the creation) of solutions that address market demand and increase profit for their customers. The awards honor, in particular, those solutions that have originality, creativity and exemplify initiative. Honorees were recognized specifically by George Koroneos, VSR’s former editor-in-chief, onstage at the event. This year’s winners were:

Customer Engagement Technology: OPI Consumer Price Scanner by Optical Phusion, Inc. of Littleton, MA;
Mobility: DeliveryIQ by Foodtec Solutions of Needham, MA;
Payment Processing: iDriveThru by iDriveThru of Manalapan, NJ;
Point of Sale Solution: Solution for Saloncentric by Essential Systems Solutions; Software Application: ScanItAll by StopLift of Cambridge, MA, and
Partnership: OneStep Retail Solutions POS Solutions with Merchant Warehouse’s Genius.

In the Vendor of Excellence Awards portion of the event, over 300 vendors were categorized and selected by RSPA reseller members for the Vendor of Excellence awards, which make them the only industry accolade honoring vendors for channel work, given by the channel. Emcee Bob Goldberg, RSPA’s Attorney, announced the following 21 winners:

Reseller Support Services:
Gold Award: Business Solutions Magazine
Silver Award: Vertical Systems Reseller magazine
Bronze Award: Quality Retail Systems, Inc.

Electronic Payment/ Financing:
Gold Award: Mercury
Silver Award: Datacap Systems Inc.
Bronze Award: Sterling

Consumables:
Gold Award: California Ribbon and Carbon Co., Inc.
Silver Award: Nashua Corporation
Bronze Award: Ritemade Paper Converters, Inc.

Technology Distributor:
Gold Award: BlueStar
Silver Award: ScanSource
Bronze Award: M-S Cash Drawer

Hardware Manufacturers:
Gold Award: EPSON America
Silver Award: APG Cash Drawer
Bronze Award: Smart Power Systems

Software:
Gold Award: Future POS
Silver Award: National Computer Corporation
Bronze Award: Digital Dining/Menusoft

Hardware:
Gold Award: Cash Register Sales, Inc.
Silver Award: MICROS Systems, Inc.
Bronze Award: NCR Corporation,

The Gold Medallion award is presented to the vendor with the highest number of votes across all categories. 2014’s Gold Medallion winner is Business Solutions Magazine,

In one of the evening’s most emotional moments, the RSPA honored the late Ed Mancini, also known as the Independent Cash Register Dealers Association (ICRDA)’s “one man membership committee,” by inducting him into the RSPA’s Hall of Fame. Mancini was known as a tireless supporter of the ICRDA (later RSPA), passionate about building the association, and supporting fellow resellers. Bart Collins, RSPA Board of Directors and Scholarship & Awards Committee Co-Chair, accepted on behalf of the Mancini family. He quoted baseball player Satchel Paige in his acceptance, expressing that the quote described Mancini well: “Ain't no man can avoid being born average, but there ain't no man got to be common.”

Goldberg closed out the Awards event by welcoming outgoing RSPA Chair Lynn Skurla and New Chair Jim Roddy to the stage for the passing of the gavel. With RSPA President and CEO Kelly Funk looking on, Lynn Skurla thanked the RSPA for an exciting, albeit very busy, year. Roddy accepted the chair position by challenging the RSPA and the retail technology industry to be “brave” in the face of rapid change.

Additional information on the 2014 Award winners will be published in the September issue of RSPA’s connect magazine.

For more information about the RSPA Awards, please visit www.goRSPA.org/Awards.

About RSPA
(www.GoRSPA.org) The Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA) is the only association dedicated to the retail technology industry. RSPA members include resellers, hardware manufacturers, software developers, consultants, finance companies, and distributors bringing retail technology products and/or services to the marketplace. The RSPA provides education, certification, industry advocacy, benefits and information that assists members with becoming and remaining successful.

About RetailNOW
(www.GoRSPA.org/RetailNOW) RetailNOW is the premier convention and expo for all professionals in the retail technology industry. RetailNOW is where the industry meets each year to become educated on new business trends, emerging technologies and best business practices along with exploring a diverse exhibit hall with more than 175 booths featuring the latest products in the retail technology industry.