[RetailEdge Moderator]

Many people have asked about what wireless scanners they can use with RetailEdge. Currently the wireless scanners are used as scanners:

1. for the point of sale and,
2. for physical inventory control (Portable Data Collectors).

Wireless devices used for the point of sale are simply keyboard wedge devices, similar to the regular barcode scanners used at the point of sale, that don't have a cable attaching them to the computer. They use wireless 802.11 or bluetooth to connect to the computer. These devices will scan barcodes from within about 30 feet from the point of sale computer. There are also devices that will scan further away from the computer (~100 feet). These devices can be useful for businesses that don't want to be limited to the 6 foot cable distance of a regular barcode scanner.

Wireless devices used for physical inventory are batch devices that allow you to collect inventory SKUs and quantities and transfer this information back into RetailEdge to add to a purchase order, receive items, or physical inventory counts.

http://retailedge.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=1027
http://retailedge.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=906


Many people have asked for connectivity for wireless hand held devices so that they can do real time inventory or line busting type applications where they can walk around the store checking inventory and doing physical inventories or doing instant retagging of items with a portable barcode label printer. Or they want to have a line busting application where they have a belted Windows mobile device with a receipt printer attached so that when lines are long, they can check out people on the fly. This is something we have considered many times in the past. However, we are in the business of developing affordable point of sale software solutions. The windows mobile devices alone are in the $2000 - $3000 range. Developing an application for this device would cost $1000+. When we discuss the option of having the customer setup an inexpensive laptop (~$700) wirelessly connecting the device to the network and installing RetailEdge secondary workstation license ($225) and make them aware that they have the option of creating 4 workstations for the price of one mobile device setup, the need for a mobile device goes away.

We are always looking for inexpensive point of sale solutions to make our customers businesses work better and faster and more affordably. When we find a manufacturer who can provide a solution that we think is affordable then we will create a solution for our RetailEdge customers.