The POS Software Blog

News from Tower Systems about locally made POS software for specialty local retailers.

CategoryPOS Software

WE LOVE POS SOFTWARE SUCCESS STORIES

April 20, 2016

1 Min read

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We love hearing POS software stories, stories from our small business retailer customers on how they are using our Point of Sale software to help their businesses in the service of their customers.

We heard one such success story from the folks at Tourist House recently, at one of our user meetings, on their use of our proprietary discount voucher loyalty software facilities to help their customers save on purchases tourist items from them.

Using the software in four retail locations in four cities, the POS software sits at the heart of the operation. The discount voucher facilities have proved to be terrific in helping with employee and customer engagement.

The stories of engagement have helped us understand from a real world perspective how our software can be used in a range of situations to drive better business outcomes. Every feedback story adds to our knowledge and the narrative of Tower Systems.

We are grateful for customer engagement like this. It puts wind in our sales, a spring in our step.

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POS SOFTWARE SCALE INTEGRATION HELPS SMALL RETAILERS COMPETE

April 19, 2016

2 Min read

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The seamless scale integration facilities in the Tower Systems POS software make selling easy in a range of specialty retailers including pet stores, garden centres, jewellers, whole foods stores and confectionery stores. Helping retailers sell by weight helps them drive fast and accurate selling. It can also offer retailers greater flexibility in pricing structure. All of which helps small and independent retailers to compete more successfully and effectively.

The terrific LollyBomb store in the heart of Adelaide is a good example of a smart retailer leveraging the scale facilities in the software to help run a more successful business.

Selling by weight is easy thanks to the facilities in the software that were developed by Tower Systems in close consultation with retailers.

This is another niche service handled by the Tower software, making it a genuinely beneficial tool for niche and special interest small business retailers.

Integrations are important to small business retailers. They can often set POS software companies apart in that not all integrations are approved. take Xero, for example – they do not approve all POS software requests for integration. They have a structured process to follow. This is why being approved is a badge of honour and an important differentiator.

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THE JB HI FI 3 FOR $10 IS EASY WITH OUR POS SOFTWARE

April 18, 2016

2 Min read

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Retailers using the Tower Systems POS software can easily handle package or bundled offers, like the JB Hi Fi 3 for $10 offer they are running for greeting cards.

Using our smart small business POS software, retailers can run bundled deals like we see in JB Hi Fi with ease. Small and independent retailers can match the retail giant simply and easily. This is important as offers like this make price comparisons difficult.

In addition to bundled offers like this, the Tower software also handled multi buys where shoppers can purchase over time, reaching an award point where they get free product.

These facilities are in addition to myriad other discounting options including catalogues, loyalty facilities, discount vouchers and more.

All of these tools help small business retailers to be competitive in their offers, competitive against other local businesses, competitive against online and competitive against big businesses, like JB Hi Fi.

The beauty of offers like the JB Hi Fi offer is shoppers are drawn to the deal of Three cards for $10 and often times purchase one card at a higher margin for the retailer. Our software handles this, kicking in the Three for $10 pricing offer only when the shopper purchases the three cards. This counter management based on volume is easy and automatic – delivering good outcomes for the retailers and ensuing maximum margin.

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POS SOFTWARE KNOWLEDGE BASE MAKES ACCESSING HELP EASY

April 16, 2016

1 Min read

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The ever-evolving knowledge based helping users of the Tower Systems POS software is easily accessible, using natural English searches.

While the Tower Systems team enhanced knowledge base content, users themselves can provide feedback within knowledge base articles, adding value to the information seeking experience. It is accessible 24/7. It is also referred to in help desk calls as part of the training process and to provide customers with step by step advice on how to do something – if that is appropriate to a specific call.

Knowledge base resources include videos as well as text based articles. Indeed, there are more than 100 knowledge base accessible videos.

The knowledge base approach by Tower Systems is a good example of the open and interactive approach taken by the company to serving its small business retailer customers.

Here is one example one knowledge base article of several on the end of shift process accessible through the Tower Systems POS software knowledge base.

The Tower Systems knowledge base can be accessed from any internet connected device including desktop computers, tablets and smartphones. Yes, it is iPhone ready.

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EXTRA POS SOFTWARE TRAINING SESSIONS DUE TO DEMAND

April 14, 2016

1 Min read

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Tower Systems is thrilled to announce the addition of the following training sessions due to demand for the original sessions:

Meeting Name: How to handle non EDI invoices to keep stock accurate. Date: Thursday 12^th of May Time: 2pm Description: See how easy it is to process invoice’s manually for suppliers that do not send electronic invoices to help keep your stock figures accurate.
Meeting Name: Getting Ready for EOFY Date: Tuesday 17^th of May Time: 2pm Description: Get ready for End of Financial Year now. What you need to do and the reports you need to run.
Meeting Name: Retailer software settings you will be shocked you have access to. Date: Thursday 19^th of May Time: 2pm Description: Help desk expert Colin Harris will show you settings you most likely don’t know exist that can help your enjoyment of the software
Meeting Name: Stocktaking for EOFY Date: Thursday 26^th of May Time: 2pm Description: Doing a stocktake in retailer and what option works best for you.

We are grateful to our customers for embracing our free training program. We know those attending training make better users of the software and better retailers.

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LOCALLY DEVELOPED POS SOFTWARE FOR AUSTRALIAN LOCAL RETAIL BUSINESSES

April 14, 2016

1 Min read

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As overseas online businesses compete with local retailers for sales of almost anything, so too do overseas based POS software companies compete with Australian software companies.

Here at Tower Systems, we understand local. We understand our local retail business customers. we understand their shoppers. We understand what being local is all about and why it matters to our customers and the communities in which they serve.

This is what being local is really about, it is about being knowledgable of and engaged with your local community.

Through our POS software and through our customer service we live and breathe the local message. Our actions speak for us through locally focussed software changes and how we serve and connect with our customers.

here is a short video explaining our local pitch. This video serves multiple purposes: it speaks to our in-house video production facilities, it has our owner speaking up for us and what we stand for, it shows our commitment to plain speaking anyone can understand and it speaks to our professionalism that you can trust.

This is the Tower Advantage, our Tower Advantage, offered to you.

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SUNDAY SMALL BUSINESS RETAIL MANAGEMENT ADVICE: HOW TO KEEP YOUR BUSINESS MORE SECURE

April 10, 2016

3 Min read

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Security is important in any business but especially in a small independent retail business. Here is a list of actions we recommend you consider to ensure your business is secure.

Know how many keys there are to your premises and who has them.
Keep a spare key in a safe place away from the business.
Keep a current data backup off site. Regularly check that you can restore the data from your backup and that the data is current.
Regularly check the use of your business software for the deletion or alternation of sales as this could indicate employee fraud.
Have current reputable virus protection on all your computers.
Have current reputable firewall installed on your network.
Never open a zip file sent by email.
Never open an email from a bank, the ATO or the police.
Change the most powerful / valuable password for your computer software monthly and share it sparingly. Passwords should be complex. Check the strength of your password here: https://howsecureismypassword.net
Be discrete when talking about the business and its performance.
Do not do the banking at the same time every day or every few days. Do not follow the same route. Do not carry the same bag.
Have a camera system installed to get a good shot of the faces of everyone entering and leaving the business.
Consider registering your CCTV with the local police – this is an option in some jurisdictions.
Ensure customers can see they are being filmed.
Train employees to make eye contact with customers.
Train employees on emergency procedures for handling: theft, aggressive people, shoplifters.
Use the full stock control facilities of your software to understand the financial cost of shoplifting.
When doing magazine returns, check discrepancies weekly to understand magazine theft.
Ensure your windows are not cluttered. The police advise cluttered windows are a security risk because of what they can hide.
Ensure there is good lighting outside if the store is locked up when it is dark.
Ensure you have the best possible sight lines of the shop from the counter.
Have a no personal items at the counter policy.
If you catch someone in the act of shoplifting ask them to wait in the store, and call the Police. Also (advice from NSW govt. Crime prevention):
1. Tell them who you are.
2. Tell them why they have been asked to stay in the store. o Advise them that Police have been called
3. Ask the person to surrender any property that doesn’t belong to them. Remember, retailers and other citizens have no legal right to search a person.
4. Most importantly, do not put yourself at risk.
Have a clear refund processing policy and ensure all employees are trained on this.
Track all sales by employee code.
When hiring: ask if applicants agree to a police check, check their references, do not hire friends of employees, explain your commitment to zero tolerance re employee theft.
Have an employee theft policy in full view.

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SOFTWARE COMPANIES THAT LOCK USERS OUT FROM THEIR DATA DESERVE TO LOSE CUSTOMERS

April 7, 2016

1 Min read

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We are helping another retailer switch to our software and in the process the retailer has discovered their old software company is blocking their access to their own business data.

This is unethical in our view. Legal advice suggests it could be challenged in the courts.

Here we have a small business retailer who has cultivated business data for twenty years and now, when they want to change software, they are locked out.

We have seen this before and are sure we will see it again. It is appalling action by the software company reflecting badly on them in this instance and into the future.

UPDATE: 5:36PM APRIL 7, 2016.

Bernard Zimmermann, director of competitor POS Solutions Australia Pty Ltd has copied text from this post and posted it on their blog this afternoon. The post appears to be a response to what I have written. This following of Tower is not the first time he has done this:

For the record, Tower Systems does not lock users out, never has and never will. The claims by Zimmermann are false and he knows that.

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FREE TRAINING FOR POS SOFTWARE USERS THIS WEEK

April 4, 2016

1 Min read

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Tower Systems is proud to offer free and live training opportunities for users of its POS software this week. We have two local user meetings, in Geelong and the Gold Coast and online. The two user meetings are the latest in our series of capital city and major regional centre meetings – face to face with our customers, providing free training and business development strategy.

The online session on End of Shift Reports is fully booked. We are running this session again in the coming weeks.

In addition to the live training opportunities, our customers continue to have access to an extraordinary library of video based training and text based training – making POS software training easy to access from anywhere and at any time.

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BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE PLATFORM FOR SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS ATTRACTING KUDOS

April 1, 2016

1 Min read

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The Retailer Visual Deck released by Tower Systems to its small business retailer customers earlier this year is generating terrific responses as retailers see the power of the visual compared to the traditional POS software reports.

This cloud-based platform is accessible from anywhere. It provides live access to retail business performance KPIs, helping small business retailers better understand what is happening in their businesses.

The Visual Deck is a new product from Tower Systems. Accessible from any internet connected device, this platform provides you with a fresh view of your business performance data. Visually reporting on revenue, gross profit, transaction count, items per sale, units sold, average transaction value, by month, week, day and day of week – easily allowing you to compare trading periods.

Cloud based, this new business intelligence platform is available on a month to month or annual basis. Called the Visual Deck, It is visual because, well, your business data is presented in a visual way. It is a deck because it is a platform off of which you can see far and wide.

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TAGS CHANGE THE WAY SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS TRACK INVENTORY

March 31, 2016

1 Min read

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The introduction of tags in the Tower Systems POS software last year added to an already powerful reporting suite for our retail customers.

Using tags our retailers can take a horizontal slice through their business data across departments, categories and suppliers, linking items based on a licence or sole other connection relevant to the business.

Tagging is smart easy and powerful, providing small business retailers a fresh view of their businesses, one unique to Tower Systems.

We have been demonstrating the value of tags in our user meetings, [providing our customers with ah ha moments when they see it, get it and realise the power for their businesses through the unique view of business performance available to them.

Tagging inventory items is another point of difference we have been able to leverage for growth among our small business retail user community.

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SUNDAY SMALL BUSINESS RETAIL MANAGEMENT ADVICE: 6 WAYS TO PROMOTE YOUR POINT OF DIFFERENCE THIS WINTER

March 27, 2016

2 Min read

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Winter can be tough for some people. It can be tough for retail too as traffic is often down. Independent retailers have an opportunity to leverage the season, to make it more enjoyable for you and your customers.

Here are six suggestions to get you thinking abut winter differently:

Reach out to retirement villages and nursing homes. Pack up key items from your shop and tele it on the road – go to those customers who can’t come to you because of the cold.
Offer free delivery. If option one does not work for you promote a delivery service so people shut in can still get their fix. Be the retailer who goes the extra mile.
Add to your customer service. have somewhere people can place their umbrellas and raincoats when they enter.
Keep your shop warm. Offer hot coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Maybe have a slow cooker with some delicious home cooked vegetable soup using a recipe from a magazine you have in-store.
Have a summer sale. In the middle of winter, at the coldest, have a blow-out sale and call it something like a SIZZLING SALE. Get people warm with great prices.
Change your music playlist. If you’re using an online music service, select brighter, warmer music.

If your shop is in a really cold area consider an outer door to keep the warmth in. They do this a lot in Europe and the US in Winter.

Winter is a seasoning which you can show off your point of difference and get people seeing your retail business differently.

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EASTER POS SOFTWARE HELP DESK COVERAGE

March 24, 2016

1 Min read

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While our main offices will be closed over the Easter break, our after hours and emergency numbers will be accessible to our customers to ensure support for any time-sensitive issues encountered through the period.

We take the provision of support through extended public holiday periods seriously and have ensured all of our customers have contact details for after hours coverage. We have mailed and emailed details.

To all our customers – we hope you have good trading the Easter days you are open. We are here if you need us.

Through the Easter break we will publish our customer weekly comms as usual and maintain easy access to our knowledge base and other online resources.

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ALL POS SOFTWARE HAS BUGS, IT IS HOW YOU HANDLE THEM THAT MATTERS

March 22, 2016

1 Min read

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The Tower Systems POS software has bugs, not deliberate bugs, not bugs left in the software forever to frustrate customers.

What matters most about any software bug is how the software company reacts.

Tower Systems has a structured process to deal with with a report of a bug.

We check that the bug is real, that we can recreate it at will.
We research the bug to understand the cause.
We unpack the programming code to track down a cause.
We discuss resolution.
We code resolution.
We test the resolution in house.
We test the resolution in the field.
We advise those reporting the bug of correction.

This whole process is undertaken in partnership with our customers. This transparency builds confidence and demonstrates our commitment to engaged service of the businesses we serve.

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THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLOUD BACKUP SERVCIES FOR SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS

March 21, 2016

1 Min read

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The cloud backup service offered by Tower Systems to its small business retailer customers is best practice, offering the ultimate in protection for our customers.

The features of the service include:

Whole of PC backup. This is crucial.
Local copy storage.
Cloud based storage in a secure independent server farm location.
Speedy recovery back to a selected data.
Certainty over the management of the processes.
No user triggered backup activity required.

While there are free cloud based backup services, when it comes to protecting your business data a free service is most likely not the best.

Your business data needs to be treated with the respect it deserves.

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SUNDAY RETAIL MANAGEMENT ADVICE: HOW TO CHOOSE POS SOFTWARE FOR YOUR RETAIL BUSINESS

March 20, 2016

1 Min read

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TOWER SYSTEMS EMPOWERS SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS WHEN IT COMES TO POS SOFTWARE CHANGES

March 17, 2016

1 Min read

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Retailers using our small business POS software are voting on changes to the software. We launched this initiative, Software Ideas, years ago and remain as committed today as we were at launch. We appreciate the active engagement of our customers in suggesting enhancements and those in voting for enhancements.

Software Idease is unique, transparent and engaging for our customers. Every idea is responded to in a transparent way. We are thrilled to be able to do this for our customers and are grateful for the opportunity for this dialogue. The result is better, user driven, software.

This engagement focuses our attention.

It is hard work to create and manage a public facing portal for customer change suggestion. That we are still doing this years on and that it is appreciated by so many of our customers is a delight.

This is another example of Tower Systems living up to its promises. We appreciate the point of difference we are able to demonstrate.

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CANBERRA AREA RETAILERS POS SOFTWARE USER MEETING

March 16, 2016

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Plenty of retailers using our Tower Systems POS software got together with us today at the Mercure Hotel for a POS software user meeting and networking session. In addition to covering new facilities and delivering appreciated training, we also connected with prospective users keen for a new solution.

From our side at the Canberra session we had our software development manager, COO, national sales manager and CEO all present and engaged in the session.

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POS SOFTWARE SYDNEY USER MEETING A HIT

March 15, 2016

1 Min read

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We had a terrific POS software user meeting in Sydney today, at the Novotel in Homebush. There was an excellent business building discussion around loyalty options – selecting what is right for your specific circumstances. This discussion was in addition to training on the latest release.

Having the leadership team of the company at these sessions is proving to be appreciated by our customers. It demonstrates our commitment to excellent customer service.

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HOW TOWER SYSTEMS IS HELPING NEW ZEALAND SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS PREPARE FOR THE END OF THE FINANCIAL YEAR

March 14, 2016

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With the end of the financial year approaching in New Zealand, Tower Systems has schedule a series of EOFY training specific for our NZ customers. The idea was suggested by a customer a few weeks ago and we loved it so we put together content for a live online workshop and have now announced dates to our NZ customers. Click here to access these are other free online training sessions by Tower Systems.

This is another example of listening to customers and working with them to help them get more value from their IT investment in our POS software.

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WHY WE THINK XERO IS THE BEST ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE FOR SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS

March 12, 2016

2 Min read

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We have used MYOB, Quick Books and xero in retail businesses we operate. It is this experience with all three from a bookkeeping through to a finalized accounts perspective that has helped us reach a view that xero is the best solution.

Each professional position in our company agrees from bookkeeper to management to our in-house CPA. xero is the best accounting solution for small business retailers.

There is an ease of use backed by excellent support as well as an easy and direct integration between our POS software and xero that helps us save time and money.

Retailers using xero can see this for themselves.

So this is how we came to our preference, our recommendation, through our own experience on a range of levels.

While our software supports MYOB, Quick Books and xero, our experience with xero is roe complete and our integration more direct. It is an integration tested and endorsed by xero, something the company gives out only after it is satisfied.

The above commentary from us aside, xero don’t just connect with any POS software company. They check out the business and their software. They research whether they want to partner with a business. I am aware they say no, that they reject proposals of integration. That we are integrated is a valuable point of difference for us.

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BRISBANE POS SOFTWARE USER MEETING HELPS SMALL BUSINESS RETAILERS

March 10, 2016

1 Min read

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Wow! We had a terrific meeting with Brisbane area customers using our POS software today. There were plenty of questions that drove some terrific business discussions. The networking between small business retailers is certainly a valuable part of these sessions.

Free for all our customers, these sessions are wonderfully educational for customers and for us. Out of today we have picked up some terrific ideas for further enhancing the software.

Tower Systems is proud to be connecting with customers in this way. We are grateful to our customers for their support.

Today’s Brisbane sessions one of several for Queensland users this round as well as a range of online sessions for those in remote locations.

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SET YOUR POS SOFTWARE SECURITY BASED ON EMPLOYEE ROLE IN THE RETAIL BUSINESS

March 10, 2016

1 Min read

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For many years the Tower Systems POS software has permitted security settings based on the role of an employee in the business. This approach gives the retail business owners complete control over who has access to what function or report in the software. It allows retail business owners to be as open or as locked-down as they wish.

While we provide advice and guidance on appropriate security settings, what retailers establish and the passwords they use are ultimately their choice.

When it comes to password advice, for security, we only provide this to business owners.

Our software is like any tool: capable of being used well or poorly depending on the choices made by those using it.

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BIGGER SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TEAM HELPS TOWER SYSTEMS DELIVER MORE

February 19, 2016

1 Min read

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Early in 2016 Tower Systems added two new developers to its software development team. This has enhanced our capacity and our skill base and this is being reflected in what we are delivering for our customers.

This weekend at the Reed Gift Fair in Sydney we will be showing off new software, outside of the traditional POS software space, software that dramatically enhances the value small business retailers can harvest from their businesses.

This new software is a game changer. If you are attending the Reed Gift Fair, ask to see the new software we are launching.

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POS SOFTWARE UPDATE OFFERS MAGENTO LINK FOR SMALL BUSINESS RETAIL

February 16, 2016

2 Min read

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While POS software co Tower Systems has offered web store access through its smart POS software, the new direct Magento link takes the web store facilities to a new level.

The Tower link with Magento is direct, through a partnership link between the Tower software and Magento.

Prior to releasing the POS software / magento link on the market, Tower Systems created several-commerce sites using the Magento link and these have been running for more than six months. Today the company and has supports live direct link e-commerce sites in a range of retail channels covering a range of products and services. These sites are live commerce sites the company can take prospective clients to, to show the link live in action, so people can see this smart software working for themselves.

The link is powerful yet easy to setup and maintain. The Tower development team has ensured this as the focus user is the typical small business retailer with little resource or appetite to become an IT expert.

Retailers including garden centres, jewellers, bike shops, newsagents, gift shops, homewares shops, book shops, toy shops and produce stores can use this link to help their businesses transact accurately and professionally online. Tower Systems helps with terrific software for the brick and mortar retail business as well as the link to the website. The company can facilitate the whole of business service, as far as the retail customer may want.

It is our contact with Magento in the US well over a year ago that set the path for what we offer small business retailers in Australia and New Zealand today. By going our and undertaking research into best practice overseas, Tower Systems made itself aware of what retailers liked and what they wanted from website links from their POS software, the company then set about developing, testing and delivering this into the marketplace.

With plenty of reference sites now for the Magento link and even more for our mature web store facilities, Tower Systems is well positioned to help small business retailers establish professional and commercially valuable links with one or more inline presences.

Magento is owned by eBay, it is a worldwide popular webstore platform.

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