At one time, Allied’s board repair department was a separate entity from Allied and was called Electronic Servicing Specialty Incorporated or “ESSI.” We eventually expanded to two offices, ESSI of Bristol and ESSI of Florida which was managed by Ron Walker who would eventually go on to become Allied’s president. In 1985, the board repair department was finally brought under the Allied banner and continues to play a major role in the company’s success.
NeXGen/ANDI Ready for Gilbarco EPP
Beginning January 1st, 2009 all newly deployed dispensers with card readers must have a PCI-approved encrypted PIN pad if debit cards are to be utilized. Customer demand prompted Allied’s engineering group to “bump up” support for the new Gilbarco Encrypted PIN Pad (EPP) in its popular Generic Gilbarco systems as well as several customer specific systems.
The Payment Card Industry (PCI) has mandates in place for any piece of technology that “touches” sensitive card holder information. The petroleum industry, with site architectures that include card readers at the point-of-sales as well as dispensers, local area networks, and access to credit card networks, is scrambling to meet deadlines put forth by PCI.
When Allied’s IT Manager, Russ Coulon, “fused” the company’s Website and e-Store together over a year ago, he offered “one stop shopping at our e-Store for over 2000 products with inventory growing every day.” To say the inventory “grew” would be an understatement. Thousands of products have been added since then and shopping for them has never been easier thanks to product category management that can ONLY be found at the Allied e-Store.
FuelCall enables customers with disabilities to call for refueling assistance. Using the BigBell™ over-sized touch pad, customers alert in-store staff that they need assistance. When the chime rings inside the convenience store, the attendant goes out to assist the driver.
Local Allied News
Allied parts expert Tom Bannon headed into the Pennsylvania wilderness during archery season and hunted down his first buck with a bow! The buck was 160lbs with 8 points and a 16 inch wide spread! Good job, Tom!
Tech Support’s Tip of the Day
Allied’s help desk sometimes receives calls concerning the ANDI box’s liquid crystal display. If the display is blank upon power up, there are a few things one can verify. First, make sure the ANDI has the proper voltage readings and that the 5 volt light is lit in the lower left hand corner of the box. You can also try tweaking the “contrast,” which can be found in the upper right hand corner of the box. Make sure the ribbon cable is properly oriented. Verify that the red stripe that is on the right as it comes out of the LCD is “twisted” and on the left when connected to the ANDI main board. For further troubleshooting assistance regarding the LCD, contact Allied’s tech support group!
Fun Fact
"Auld Lang Syne" is an old Scottish song that was first published by the poet Robert Burns in the 1796 edition of the book, Scots Musical Museum. "Auld Lang Syne" literally translates as "old long since" and means "times gone by." The song asks whether old friends and times will be forgotten and promises to remember people of the past with fondness, "For auld lang syne, we'll take a cup o' kindness yet."
Allied’s help desk sometimes receives calls concerning the ANDI box’s liquid crystal display. If the display is blank upon power up, there are a few things one can verify. First, make sure the ANDI has the proper voltage readings and that the 5 volt light is lit in the lower left hand corner of the box. You can also try tweaking the “contrast,” which can be found in the upper right hand corner of the box. Make sure the ribbon cable is properly oriented. Verify that the red stripe that is on the right as it comes out of the LCD is “twisted” and on the left when connected to the ANDI main board. For further troubleshooting assistance regarding the LCD, contact Allied’s tech support group!
"Auld Lang Syne" is an old Scottish song that was first published by the poet Robert Burns in the 1796 edition of the book, Scots Musical Museum. "Auld Lang Syne" literally translates as "old long since" and means "times gone by." The song asks whether old friends and times will be forgotten and promises to remember people of the past with fondness, "For auld lang syne, we'll take a cup o' kindness yet."