Monthly Archives: August 2017

THE VIEW FROM ABOVE: QIR Customer Experience Highlights

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To maintain their certification, QIR companies are held accountable for the impact they have on the security of the cardholder data environment as they work to uphold the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (“PCI SSC”) Code of Professional Responsibility. Over the course of the last year, RDS has made major investments related to meeting the new QIR qualification and implementation requirements. Trained by the PCI SSC, RDS employees perform Qualified Installations every day in accordance with the QIR Program.

The diagram above shows the Qualified Installation process and parties involved. (diagram credit PCI-SSC)

The PA-DSS Implementation Guide is prepared by the software application vendor, such as NCR, and passed to the QIR Company (RDS). The QIR qualified employee uses this vendor-provided PA-DSS Implementation Guide, QIR Implementation Statement Instructions, and their knowledge of the PCI DSS, when implementing the payment application software into the merchant’s environment.

Throughout each stage of the implementation, the QIR employee documents details related to the install and PCI DSS on an Implementation Statement. This document provides a record of their work with a checklist of implementation/functionality items for the QIR employee to test and sign off. Within 10 business days of the installation, the QIR installer reviews the completed Implementation Statement for Quality Assurance. Once the document is signed off, the customer receives a copy for their records. To ensure continuing process improvements, the customer is invited to share their experience through a survey located on the PCI SSC website. The QIR Feedback Form serves as a tool for the PCI SSC to validate the performance of the QIR Company, in accordance with the QIR Program Requirements, through the customer’s experience.

RDS appreciates our customers’ feedback and can help guide and assist you as needed on your PCI Compliance journey. If you have any questions about our QIR Program, please email: compliance@rdspos.com.

QIR and The Small Merchant

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Did you know that 60% of small businesses go under within 6 months of a cyber attack*? According to industry research**, restaurants and retail small business merchants make up the biggest portion of total known breaches, and only about 20% are compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS).

In credit card processor speak, small business merchants fall into the Level 4 merchant category. As such, they are required to adhere to the PCI DSS and to demonstrate Payment Card Brand specific compliance annually. Failure to do so results in penalties by the processor. Merchants have seen many changes to their credit processor validation requirements over the last several years between updates to the PCI DSS, hardware, and the recent VISA Qualified Integrator and Reseller (QIR) mandate.

Last year VISA issued a QIR mandate to Level 4 merchants and were given a deadline of February 2017 to begin utilizing only PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) qualified QIR Companies for Point of Sale activities, or pay a fine. This is the first mandate of it’s kind, and other payment card brands are anticipated to follow suit in the near future. The mandate is meant to alleviate compliance risk during implementation and ongoing maintenance support of point of sale systems. By using organizations that have completed the PCI SSC QIR qualification, merchants improve security by ensuring that point of sale systems are installed and integrated in a manner that facilitates the merchant’s PCI DSS compliance and ultimately reduces risk.

RDS has over 130 QIR qualified technicians and is dedicated to cultivating internal PCI DSS awareness and serving as a resource to guide our customers throughout their PCI Compliance journey. As a QIR Company, RDS only installs and maintains PA-DSS validated payment applications and implements data security into every facet of business operations, from the implementation of point-of-sale systems, to keeping our employees trained and up-to-date with the latest security standards.

In the POS industry since 1950, RDS has continuously adapted and grown through many changes providing smarter products and support to our clients year after year. This includes cultivating PCI DSS compliant processes and environments to serve as an advisor to our clients. RDS is proud to have over 130 employees QIR qualified to conduct Qualified Installations and assure compliance with the PCI DSS.

*Cyber Security Statistics – Numbers Small Businesses Need to Know, Jan 3, 2017, Small Business Trends (https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/01/cyber-security-statistics-small-business.html)

**Verizon 2015 PCI Compliance Report
Visa graphic borrowed from PCI SSC (credit www.pcisecuritystandards.org)

Crazy Bowls & Wraps Selects PAR’s Cloud-Based Brink POS® Software

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Solution also includes Brink Online/Mobile Ordering and PAR EverServ® Terminals

New Hartford, NY- July 27, 2017 – ParTech, Inc. (PAR), a leading global provider of point of sale (POS) and workforce efficiency solutions to the restaurant and retail industries, announced Crazy Bowls & Wraps has selected PAR’s Cloud-Based Brink POS® Software and EverServ® 500 and 550 terminals for all 16 locations, with plans to expand with additional new store openings this year. Crazy Bowls & Wraps serves fresh, real food that is made from scratch daily.

ParTech, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE: PAR).

Crazy Bowls & Wraps was using a legacy point of sale solution, which made it difficult to implement back of house applications that integrated with above-store accounting, operational, and human capital systems. It was also extremely labor intensive to perform menu and price changes, as each location required individual updates performed by management. Efficiently analyzing customer and transactional information was a challenge, as well.

“With the capability of cloud technology today, we started searching for a solution that gave us remote management from anywhere, with a partner that could be there for us locally as we continue to expand our brand,” said Keith Kitsis, Founder, Crazy Bowls & Wraps.

RDS St. Louis, a value-added reseller, facilitated the process to identify the best solution for their needs.

The Brink solution, a cloud-based enterprise management system, will enable Crazy Bowls & Wraps to centrally control and deploy updates to all 16 locations, integrate with the current and future above-store systems, and position Crazy Bowls & Wraps for growth.

“RDS and PAR have provided great insights and support in the seamless transition of the new system and the growth of our omni-channel presence, providing our customers more ways to “go for the good.” From the store to the office, we have been pleased in the ease of use and expandability the product offers,” added Kitsis.

Crazy Bowls & Wraps is seeing improved customer engagement by offering them a best in class omni-channel experience from Brink’s online and mobile ordering platforms, and investigating the comprehensive loyalty solution. Although they are early in the process of implementing this, they are seeing great potential in both incremental revenue and speed of service improvements.

“We are excited to have Crazy Bowls & Wraps select Brink for all locations. Brink was designed to be  forward thinking and with the end user in mind, resulting in an easy to use and quickly adoptable solution,” said Paul Rubin, Chief Strategy Officer, ParTech, Inc. “With Brink online ordering and loyalty in place, guests will have a more engaging experience, and a more convenient and accessible way to order their favorite CBW dishes.”

“RDS is proud to have the opportunity to partner with Crazy Bowls & Wraps in providing PAR’s cloud-based Brink POS Software,” said Chris Cutting, General Manager, Retail Data Systems of St. Louis (RDS). “With the solution’s robust reporting and remote management capabilities, it addressed the issues that were once faced with their traditional, legacy systems. It is exciting to see CBW grow and offer the best possible experience for customers with online ordering and loyalty options. “

ABOUT CRAZY BOWLS & WRAPS

Crazy Bowls & Wraps opened its first store in St. Louis, MO in 1994. While CBW has continually evolved and expanded over the years, they continue to serve fresh, real food that is made from scratch daily. By making it easier to enjoy delicious, fresh ingredients, CBW helps people feel good about themselves and the world we share. For more information and a list of locations, visit http://crazybowlsandwraps.com/.

ABOUT RETAIL DATA SYSTEMS (RDS)

Retail Data Systems is the largest provider of Point of Sale Hardware and Software in North America. Founded in 1950, RDS now operates over 25 offices serving customers across the nation providing complete Point of Sale technology. Their team of over 400 professionals assure customers of the best 24/7/365 service available. Their list of industry leading POS hardware and software products provide a variety of solutions for companies large and small. For more information, visit http://www.rdspos.com/.

ABOUT PAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION

PAR Technology Corporation’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PAR. PAR’s Restaurant/Retail segment has been a leading provider of restaurant and retail technology for more than 30 years. PAR offers technology solutions for the full spectrum of restaurant operations, from large chain and independent table service restaurants to international quick service chains. Products from PAR also can be found in retailers, cinemas, cruise lines, stadiums and food service companies. PAR’s Government segment is a leader in providing computer-based system design, engineering and technical services to the Department of Defense and various federal agencies. For more information, visit https://www.partech.com/ or connect with PAR on Facebook and Twitter.