Retail Modernization 2.0 w/Intel's Rob Risany & Elo's Luke Wilwerding

We're busy planning and executing VARTECH 2025 this week, so enjoy a couple of classics from the archives, starting with this one, recorded at last year's show. No live episode this year, but follow BlueStar on LinkedIn to keep up with all of the fun, cool tech, and new ideas we're sharing there. * * * Originally released Sep 26, 2024 Once again, we took our show on the road to VARTECH in Orlando, Florida, to discuss websites, social media, and how they can impact your business. James Korte gives us a breakdown of what "good" websites should contain and what they should do. What are some common pitfalls and mistakes? Is there a right way to do social media? Finally, we wrap up by gently critiquing some sites submitted by our audience.   #VARValue - Check out the sites we reviewed! https://www.digi-trax.com/ https://www.posperpanama.com/ (Now updated and excellent!)   Check out the YouTube video to follow along with our website reviews: https://youtu.be/xDtuNQXAvTA    TEConnecting with us: James - Runway AI video Dean - Bark Air John - Are restaurant kiosks leading to smaller orders?   Keep in Touch! LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe   Sponsored by: Elo Quick Ship Program

Distracted driving has been exacerbated with the widespread use of mobile devices, which constantly beckon to be looked at, touched, and interacted with. For enterprises that deploy drivers to deliver products or services, or operate internal vehicles such as forklifts, these distractions can lead to costly lawsuits, liabilities, and an inability to obtain insurance. This week, we're joined by Ted Chen, CEO of LifeSaver Mobile, a company that helps enterprises customize employee access to their devices while driving and on the job. What does "locking down" a mobile device actually mean? How can this benefit resellers with customers using devices they didn't sell? How does connectivity fit into this conversation (Jim Hilton is here with that answer!)? Don't skip this episode...doing so could cause an accident!   Around the Nation: Follow us on LinkedIn & YouTube #VARValue - How is LifeSaver Mobile working with VARs to give them a recurring revenue source, even if their customers are still committed to consumer devices?   On Our Radar Ted - AI search & virtual first downs for football Jim - Satellite connectivity Dean - Quantum communications John - The world's deepest hotel   Keep in Touch! Email – [email protected] LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe    Sponsored by: Elo Pay POS Systems

Planned obsolescence and routine replacement cycles are common in the consumer electronics industry. Those concepts also infiltrate enterprise hardware, undermining the notion that business equipment should be rugged, durable, and suitable for years of day-to-day use. If you're eager to swap out mobile computers, POS devices, printers, and other hardware when a new version is released, are you doing your customers (and your business) a disservice? That's the premise of this week's episode featuring Logic Controls' Engineering Director, Paul Peralta & CEO Brian Wheeler. What are end-users saying about buying enterprise vs. consumer? How does longevity factor into designing & selling solutions? How does Logic Controls factor software and evolving OS platforms into its products?   Around the Nation: ISVs on Tap #VARValue - What is Logic Controls' approach to longevity and performance? What do you do differently to ensure that VARs feel secure selling your products?   On Our Radar Paul - Photonic processing Brian - College football Dean - The end of AOL dialup John - Nostalgia for the music of our teen years   Keep in Touch! Email – [email protected] LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe    Sponsored by: Logic Controls Durable Solutions

In two weeks, we'll be focusing on fleet & deliver driver safety and technology to minimize distractions. In preparation, we thought it would be helpful to revisit the importance of reliable, enterprise-ready connectivity to enable such solutions. Enjoy! * * * Originally published March 13, 2025 Mobile computing, IoT, AI, RFID, robotics, mPOS…the future of enterprise technology is exciting, to be sure. Still, it’s only as good as the networks connecting these devices and transmitting all that data for analysis and action. Networking and connectivity solutions may not currently be part of your portfolio, but if you desire to be THE trusted provider for your customers, they should be. Today, we’re talking to iONLINE’s Dave Farquharson & industry vet (now a BlueStar colleague) Jim Hilton to help you understand the connectivity landscape, the importance of multi-carrier interoperability, how to approach selling network solutions, and how to find and win opportunities.   Check out our new Connectivity Services site!   #VARValue - What is iONLINE looking for in the channel, and how do they help resellers find opportunities, win business, and overcome networking hurdles?   Around the Nation: The 2U Tour is coming to a city near you!   On Our Radar Dave - Waymo and AI Jim - Robotics Dean - AI couples therapy? John - The "city-killer" asteroid (that's no longer a concern?)   Keep in Touch! Email – [email protected] LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe    Sponsored by: Elo M51 Rugged Mobile Computer

A couple of years ago, Intel's Kristen Call joined the pod to discuss what retail modernization meant and how VARs should align their solutions for the future. Now, as the AI conversation grows louder, what has changed, and what did we get right back then? Returning guests Rob Risany & Luke Wilwerding talk expectations, skepticism, selling value, and the importance of channel partnerships to help you sell the next generation of retail tech.   Around the Nation: Win business and earn more with BlueStar Promotions! #VARValue - What’s the modernization pitch to SMB retail? Are there any “start small” opportunities that VARs should be pursuing now that could lead to bigger innovation in the future?   On Our Radar Luke - Brain-computer interfaces Rob - Home-brewed beer app Dean - Electronic skin John - Goodbye BSOD   Keep in Touch! Email – [email protected] LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe    Sponsored by: Elo M51 Rugged Mobile Computer

We're getting scrappy this week to nerd out over marketing practices that don't require big budgets or large staffs. OrderCounter's Crystal Barrineau suggested this topic and volunteered her expertise as a scrappy marketer! Our own James Korte joins her for a valuable conversation about why marketing matters, real examples of simple-but-effective campaigns, and how to turn who you already are into a brand. It's the episode that's collecting Monopolists' Tears.   Around the Nation: Check out the BlueStar Webinar series! #VARValue - How do OrderCounter's scrappy marketing strategies help them connect with channel partners and end users?   On Our Radar Crystal - The Astronomer CEO Coldplay scandal James - ChatGPT agent & ElevenLabs Dean - Sweaty corn John - Artificial blood   Keep in Touch! Email – [email protected] LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe    Sponsored by: Elo I-Series Steel

You probably sell a lot of cool tech…mobile computers, POS systems, digital signage, printers, RFID, etc, and most of that stuff is designed to send and receive data and communicate with other systems, so it’s only as good as the networks it’s connected to. Is that connectivity something you are selling? Are you leaving it to specialized providers, mobile carriers, or your competitors? If you are selling connectivity solutions yourself, do you have the support you need to deliver reliable hardware and services? We answered those questions in a webinar last week with our team of BlueStar networking & connectivity experts for the US & Canada. We didn’t want you to miss out if you weren’t able to attend, so we’re presenting that discussion on this special episode. Featuring: Jim HIlton -- Chris Dollinger -- John Haberer -- Kenton Janzen Why work with BlueStar for this technology? What’s our approach and the experience of our team? Who are we partnering with, and how do we vet them? And finally, how can we make it easy to deliver tailored, ready-to-deploy solutions? Bonus...Dean & John have very little to say in this one, so you can focus on the experts!   Learn more about BlueStar Networking & Connectivity: https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/industries-and-technologies/networking-and-connectivity After you listen, take the survey! https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8398518/Networking-Experts-Webinar-Survey    #VARValue - Final takeaways from the discussion and why VARs should lean on BlueStar for these solutions.   On Our Radar Dean - Amazon Prime Day GenAI traffic & Starbucks RTO John - Chuck-E-Cheese for adults?   Keep in Touch! Email – [email protected] LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe    Sponsored by: Elo Legacy POS Upgrades  

LG's Mike Stachura is bringing his incredible energy and enthusiasm for digital signage back to the pod (and in-studio!) with Disty Sales Director Matt Waidley. They are discussing current trends in signage, their favorite use cases, how AI is changing deployments and potential applications, and what's new with LG. Slip into some comfy shoes and enjoy!   Around the Nation: 2U Tour NYC...on a boat! #VARValue - Explain the difference between ROI & ROO? How can VARs sell the “intangible” benefits of digital displays?   On Our Radar Matt - self-driving cars Mike - Crocs Dean - Sweaty paint John - LegoGPT   Keep in Touch! Email – [email protected] LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe    Sponsored by: LG CreateBoard Elo Pay M100

LG's Mike Stachura brings his incredible energy back to the pod next week, so we thought we'd revisit his last appearance, which covered a wide range of topics and was a lot of fun. Originally released Aug 24th, 2023 * * *   An epic AI trilogy deserves an epic conclusion, so this week, we welcomed LG’s Mike Stachura & Aaron Addison into the studio for various topics and a lot of laughter. First, we discuss some predictions for generative AI’s impact on business. Next, we dig into the importance of addressing employee experience by featuring the story of Fordlandia. Finally, what does Constantinople have to do with cybersecurity? It’s the episode that knows how to be professional and charming at the same time.   #VARValue - How is LG addressing the topics we’ve discussed today, and how are you helping VARs tackle these timely solution needs with their customers?   Check out LG's All-in-One Thin Client   TEConnecting with us: Mike - Aliens Aaron - Electric toothbrushes Dean - Acoustic hacking John - Self-repossessing cars   Keep in Touch! Email – [email protected] LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

We're sharing another batch of interesting reads, trends, lists, and studies to give you something to discuss while waiting for your next meeting to start, over lunch with a client, or with friends and family.   Topics: An all-AI agent company? 2024 restaurant trends The world's wealthiest and happiest cities Why Americans are working less What happens to your digital life when you die?   Around the Nation: Networking Experts Webinar - Register Now!   On Our Radar Dean - World Humanoid Robot Sports Games John - Ranking Spielberg's Movies   Keep in Touch! Email – [email protected] LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe    Sponsored by: Elo + Epson TrueOrder KDS