ARCA launches groundbreaking transaction automation platform for self service providers

Envoy™ platform simplifies communication between transaction software and devices

Mebane, NC (January 6, 2015) — ARCA, a global leader in cash and payment automation technology, announced today the release of its latest software solution, Envoy™ to help accelerate the integration of self-service transaction software with kiosk hardware.

The Envoy™ solution streamlines the process of bringing a kiosk to market by bridging the gap between software development and hardware integration. ARCA recognizes that the kiosk industry is immersed with software developers creating innovative applications for handling payments, but building support for the hardware remains a lengthy development effort. Envoy™ is the catalyst driving communication between these applications and the myriad of devices that handle the physical transaction.

Envoy supports the industry’s leading media dispenser and bill acceptor to provide cash-in and cash/ticket-out capabilities. Device support will never be limited to specific hardware vendors or device types and support for credit card readers, barcode scanners, ticket/receipt printers and many other transaction devices are within its scope. Envoy™ is designed for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows and Linux operating systems. It also supports application development in Java and C++ programming languages. Future device, OS, and language support is determined by customer integration needs and demand for specific capabilities.

In preparation for it’s official release, Envoy™ has undergone extensive industry specific testing in ARCA’s facility as well as customer evaluation and integration with key self-service solution providers.

“Leveraging Envoy’s™ API saved us a lot of time,” says Lynn Crumbling, Senior Developer at KioWare, a leading kiosk software company based in York, Pennsylvania. “Device support for the cash dispenser would have been a time-intensive development effort on our own. Envoy spared us the time involved in learning a new protocol so we could focus on other customer requirements and features.”

Recognizing that most kiosk manufacturers and software developers also need to evaluate the capabilities and reliability of the devices, Envoy™ has integrated tests and diagnostics into an easy-to-use interface. This allows all of the features of the device to be thoroughly tested before integration. As an application that remains on the host/terminal PC, Envoy’s diagnostics are also readily accessible to a service technician.

“Developing Envoy™ has been a labor of love from my perspective,” Allen Shaver, ARCA’s Director of Product Innovation, said. “We focused on a specific customer pain-point—integration of transaction hardware with self-service software—and built a solution that accelerates products from concept to market. Internally, we have a commitment to Agile Software Development because it allows us to quickly respond to customer needs and release software and solutions at the pace demanded by the market. It’s an exciting day to see Envoy™ launched.”

Envoy is available for purchase immediately and is downloadable from the ARCA Developer Portal (developer.arcatechsystems.com) after registering.

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About ARCA

About KioWare

KioWare is award winning kiosk system software designed for the Windows OS in 2001, and for the Android OS in 2012. KioWare deploys browser based applications into a kiosk mode environment easily and inexpensively, securing the operating system, and allowing users to access only the websites or applications permitted. Each client has the ability to customize KioWare to his or her needs, with a product line ranging from basic browser-lockdown to server based remote monitoring. To learn more about KioWare, please visit kioware.com.

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