Point of Success point of sale software is supported on Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows 2000.

Point of Success version 2.54 and above is fully supported on Vista. Point of Success is fully Vista compatible but other compatibility issues may exist in your system. Check the driver software for all your point of sale peripherals, including printers, touch screens, and pole displays for Vista compatibility before purchasing a new computer with Vista installed or upgrading an existing computer to Vista.

If you have any questions or problems please call us at 800-757-3942.

Point of Success point of sale software uses common, inexpensive computer hardware and networking components. Any compatible system may be used if it meets these requirements:

Receipt Printers

Although Point of Success point of sale software supports any type of point of sale software receipt printer that uses a Windows printer driver, we recommend selection of one of the following printers to simplify set up of your system:

• Epson TM-T88III  (See Note)
• Epson TM-T88IV  (See Note)
• Epson TM-U220  (See Note)
• Epson TM-U230  (See Note)
• Star TSP100
• Star SP200
• Star SP500
• Star TSP600
• SNBC BTP-2002NP
• Samsung Bixolon SRP-275
• Samsung Bixolon SRP-500
• Ithaca POSJet 1000 (Also known as KITCHENjet 1000)
• Ithaca iTherm 280
• Citizen IDP3551

Any Windows-compatible plain paper full page printer. Your report printer can serve as a backup in the event a receipt printer stops working.

Customer receipt printers must be the same make and model on all workstations because only one customer receipt printing template is available for use on all customer receipt printers. Other point of sale printers in the system, like prep or delivery dispatch printers, can be a different make and/or model.

Note: Epson printers are available with serial, parallel, USB and Ethernet interfaces. Epson printers shared between several computers on a network should have the Ethernet interface. Serial, parallel and USB interfaces are appropriate when when using a printer connected directly to a workstation.

Cash Drawers

Point of Success works with any make or model of printer-connected cash drawer. Purchase a cash drawer designed to work with your POS printer. Depending upon the printer selected, one or two cash drawers may be used for each printer. See this Knowledge Base article for more information on multiple cash drawers: http://pointofsuccess.mykb.com/Article_5E52B.aspx

Cash drawers connected directly to a computer with serial, parallel or USB ports are not supported.

Box Label Printers

• Cognitive Advantage DLX (new model, replaces Blaster)
• Star TSP-800 (Direct thermal, this printer may be promoted as a receipt printer. It  works very well with the 1" high by 4" wide labels, Star part number 37995120, designed for the printer.)
• Zebra LP-2844 (Direct thermal, 1" high by 4" wide label stock)
• Zebra TLP-2844 (Thermal transfer, 1" high by 4" wide label stock)

Bump Bars

The Point of Success kitchen monitor feature supports the following bump bar hardware:

• Logic Controls KB1700 (IBM bump bar compatible legend sheet)

A complete computer is required to use the kitchen monitor feature. Orders may be bumped from the kitchen monitor using a keyboard, mouse, touch screen or bump bar.

Pole Displays/Customer Displays

Point of Success supports pole displays/customer displays:

• Epson and compatible two line displays
• Partner Tech CD7220

Magnetic Stripe Readers

Point of Success supports magnetic stripe readers for credit card processing and login with an employee card. The magnetic stripe reader (MSR) must be of the keyboard emulation type. HID (Human Interface Device) or OPOS type magnetic stripe readers will not work with Point of Success.

Delivery Mapping

Point of Success works with the following Microsoft mapping software to produce maps, most efficient routing and driving directions:

• Microsoft Streets & Trips 2005
• Microsoft Streets & Trips 2006
• Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007
• Microsoft Streets & Trips 2008
• Microsoft MapPoint 2004

Kitchen Monitor

The Point of Success Kitchen Monitor feature is part of the Order Entry program. No proprietary kitchen display hardware is required; this feature runs on a standard networked computer just as the Order Entry and Office Manager programs in Point of Success.

CentralPoint Central Office Reporting Email Requirements

CentralPoint Headquarters requires a standard POP3 email account to receive data transferred from Remote modules. Webmail is not supported for receiving financial or customer data transferred from Remote modules.

CentralPoint Remote requires access to a standard SMTP outbound email server for sending data to the Headquarters module and for emailing scheduled reports. Webmail is not supported for sending data or reports from the Remote module.

Receiving Emailed Reports - The CentralPoint Remote module can produce Point of Success reports and email them to any email address. These reports can be received and viewed with any email account, including webmail accounts. The receiving device must be able to view .pdf files to access the information.

A port is used to connect computers to peripheral (accessory) devices. It is very important to determine the point of sale peripherals that will be connected to each computer so you can plan your use of its ports. Here are the ports that you need to be aware of for your point of sale system:

A parallel port (also called a printer port) is used for connecting a printer to a computer. Parallel ports will normally have a picture of a printer next to it on the back of the computer. Parallel ports have a design limitation that requires a cable of no more than 9 to 12 feet. Use a parallel port to connect a printer to a computer that will sit beside the computer. Parallel printers are not normally appropriate for use as a remote printer in the kitchen.

A serial port (also called an RS-232 port) is used for several types of devices. Touch screens commonly have a serial connector to communicate screen touches to the computer. Point of sale printers are available with serial connectors. Customer displays (also called pole displays) normally use serial ports. The Point of Success Caller ID box requires a serial port. Computers commonly come with only one serial port, so plan your use of serial devices carefully. A serial cable can be up to 150 feet in length when it is constructed with high-quality cable, making a serial printer appropriate for use as a remote kitchen printer.

A USB port (Universal Serial Bus) can be used for printers, touch screens, and any other type of peripheral that incorporates a USB connection. The maximum USB cable length is 5 meters (16.5 feet). Cable length can be extended through the use of a powered USB hub.

An Ethernet port is used to connect a computer or peripheral device to a network. Point of sale printers are also available with Ethernet ports, making these printer models a good choice for a remote printer.

• Touch panel or touch monitor: Elo Touchsystems LCD touch panel is recommended, with other brands of touch panels and monitors supported. Touch display must support Windows mouse control. Minimum resolution of 800 x 600 is required. Higher resolution touch displays will allow more work area and permit easier navigation. Standard computer monitors are supported with the use of a mouse to navigate the program.
• Computer running Windows 2000, XP or Vista. Choose the best combination of price and performance for your needs. Recommended minimum 512 MB RAM.
• 100 MBPS local area network (LAN) connection when using Point of Success in a network environment. A network switch or hub is required; cross-over cable connections are not supported. Wireless networks are not recommended. Single-user systems are also supported.
• Data entry can be accomplished in its entirety using a touch display, but a mouse and keyboard may make customer information entry easier.
• Receipt printers: Use of printers from the list above will assure the most trouble-free installation and setup. Other brands and models of receipt printers are supported if a standard Windows printer driver is available for the printer. Less popular receipt printers may require additional print formatting. Point of Success supports multiple printers on each workstation, including remote printers for printing of prep tickets. If a printer will be located more than ten feet from a workstation, an Ethernet or serial printer is recommended. Printers may be shared across a network, offering the ability to connect a printer to any available workstation with printer placement in any convenient location. Special Note: Receipt printer models on individual order entry workstations must match.
• Cash drawer designed for your model receipt printer if a computer-controlled cash drawer is desired.
• Uninterruptible power supply with AVR (automatic voltage regulation) for every workstation. A UPS will virtually eliminate power-related problems with both software and network.

Manager’s Computer

• Standard computer display with at least 1024 x 768 resolution. Manager's workstation software can be used on an order entry workstation if the workstation has a display supporting 1024 x 768 resolution and an attached keyboard and mouse.
• Computer running Windows 2000, XP or Vista. Choose the best combination of price and performance for your needs. Recommended minimum 1 GB RAM.
• Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 or above must be installed.
• USB Flash drive, CD-R drive or other high-capacity removable storage device for data backup.
• 100 MBPS local area network (LAN) connection when using Point of Success in a network environment. A network switch or hub is required; cross-over cable connections are not supported. Wireless networks are not recommended. Single-user systems are also supported.
• Laser or ink jet page printer.
• Uninterruptible power supply with AVR (automatic voltage regulation). A UPS will virtually eliminate power-related problems with both software and network.

Database Server Computer

Point of Success uses a client/server database for managing and protecting data. The database software requires a computer running Windows 2000, XP or Vista. The computer running the database software must be on at all times when Point of Success is used. The database server computer can be up day and night or started before using Point of Success. It is best to run the database software on a separate server computer, but the database software can also be loaded on the manager’s workstation or other computer on the network. Database software is not required for single-computer operation. Remember to include a UPS for power protection.