Big Stories - 3rd Quarter 2007

ExxonMobil Distributor Debuts NeXGen

One Stop Shop - At the Pump!

The Lab Report

With plans to ultimately engage NeXGen’s Ethernet and remote troubleshooting capabilities, Town Pump is virtually changing the way its sites have traditionally handled technology.

“The NeXGen platform is basically a plug and go upgrade,” said Rob Tomenchok, Software Developer for Allied Electronics. “The firmware is functionally identical to that of the ANDI SSC, so acceptance testing went very smoothly. In addition, with Allied’s new system management and diagnostic application they can touch every controller on the network,” he added.

The Pinnacle Corporation, Allied’s point-of-sale vendor, is driving the many configuration options and features available vis-à-vis NeXGen. A variety of projects driven by the Allied/Pinnacle partnership are slated to involve NeXGen and Pinnacle’s “Palm” point-of-sale.

“Pinnacle and Allied have been partners for many years,” said Bob Wilhelm, Director of Professional Services for The Pinnacle Corporation. “Both companies work closely together to provide our clients with reliable business solutions. With Allied adding the NeXGen to their product offering, it allows us the tailor a more flexibility solution for our clients,” he said.

With more than 300 ExxonMobil branded distributor locations potentially installing NeXGen in the near future, Other Allied customers utilizing the same card network will undoubtedly be making the shift from existing legacy systems to NeXGen.

Possibly joining the fold will be several of Allied’s unbranded locations that also employ the ExxonMobil network. With up to 16 serial ports, these distributors can upgrade their sites to NeXGen hardware without changing the existing POS connections. Switching over from Serial to Ethernet is simply then a matter of plugging in the CAT5 cable.

Mike Vogt, Technical Project Manager at Allied, is preparing for the upcoming NeXGen field tests. “We already have NeXGen installed with one unbranded customer/distributor and have more unbranded customers/distributors that will be assisting us with the beta. Several distributor locations have already been surveyed and are eager to follow suit.”

There are currently almost 1000 NeXGen forecourt controllers installed throughout North America.

For more information on the NeXGen controller or any other products and services, contact Allied Electronics.

Allied continues to redefine forecourt functionality with the introduction of a new system of “gas island vending.” Allied is working with Island Magic Vending, LLC on an interface to a new merchandising system known as “At the Pump VendingSM” which will allow customers and their vehicles to essentially “re-fuel” at the same time.

This exciting new feature will allow gasoline retailers to place modern vending devices near their pumps and seamlessly integrate them with existing pay-at-the-pump systems. Allied’s NeXGen controllers already support a variety of in-dispenser card readers from the major dispenser manufacturers and will work in concert with the Island Magic system to integrate the pumps and point-of-sale systems to create an exciting vending opportunity.

Customers entering a gas station will be able to purchase gas, a drink, or both in a single transaction by simply swiping a card at the pump. The specially designed vending equipment will be stationed on the fueling island so customers can retrieve their purchase without leaving the fueling area.

“From the outset, we’ve designed the At the Pump VendingSM system to meet the needs of the busy pay-at-the-pump customer who wants a drink, but may not have the time to enter a store,” said Jeff Kline, President of Island Magic. “We also know that it will help the gasoline retailer who is looking for new ways to offer their ‘gas only’ customers an opportunity to buy from a selection of their most popular products.”

Finding ways to improve retailer profitability and the end user experience was also part of the thinking that went into the development of NeXGen, according to Jack Dickinson, Manager of Engineering and Development at Allied Electronics. He noted that, “This is one of the many new functions that is made possible by NeXGen – our most flexible controller ever. We are giving retailers more options in how they configure their sites to maximize efficiency, reliability, and profit opportunity.”

NeXGen has already been installed at nearly 1,000 sites. The companies expect the Island Magic interface to be available in most flavors of NeXGen controllers starting this Fall.

The Lab Report

• Support for the new Future Media Price Sign has been incorporated into Allied’s ANDI and NeXGen systems and is in field trials.

• The first Generic Schlumberger version of NeXGen software is in field trials.
  
  
• Support for Island Magic’s “At the Pump VendingSM” system has been incorporated into Allied’s NeXGen system and is in QA.
  

Contact Allied Electronics for more information regarding recent software enhancements.