HP Releases POS Bundle For SMBs

Lori Grob, product manager for POS solutions at HP, said the package combines the HP rp5000 POS system with Microsoft's Point Of Sale operating systems and HP-branded peripherals such as printers, touch screens, magnetic-stripe readers and POS keyboards.

Grob said the bundle can be purchased as one package, or pieces can be mixed and matched. HP provides the warranty on all the devices in the package, giving the customer one point of contact in the event of problems and ensuring that all the devices integrate without a hassle.

"Before this, the touch screen would have had to be purchased from one manufacturer and the stripe reader from another, each one with its own warranty," Grob said. "Maybe they all would work together. Maybe a little bit of fiddling would need to be done."

The HP rp5000 costs $599 to $820, depending on the configuration. The full bundle will be priced at $2,800, Grob said, and it includes a Microsoft Point Of Sale OS, a magnetic-stripe reader, a receipt printer, a 15-inch touch screen, a cash drawer, a scanner and a spill-proof keyboard. A typical enterprise-class POS package with the same configuration can run as high as $4,000, she said.

Grob said HP will be offering a SPIF to solution providers that sell the product as well as other financial incentives, which she declined to specify.

HP provides a three-year warranty, but four- and five-year options also are available. Grob said the devices can be serviced directly from HP or by an HP-authorized solution provider.

HP has been working on increasing the attach rate of HP products in customer sales. But HP spokespeople declined to discuss how that movement impacted HP's decision to release the POS bundle.