Professionals in public accounting firms are probably not first on the list when most business people consider the purchase of point-of-sale systems, the combination of hardware and software technology that helps retailers accept payment from customers.That's not the normal model through which POS products are handled. Microsoft's Dynamics Retail Management System is sold through traditional resellers as are hardware and software bundles from Cougar Mountain Systems, which offers its Point of Sale System with software only and POS BackOffice, with hardware and software.
Cougar provides support to end users, including training, from a CPA, But the Boise, Idaho-based company, which also employs direct sales, does not have a program similar to the Sage network, according to spokesperson Angie Early.
Nor, for the moment, does Intuit, which covers many of the bases in the POS field, utilize its relationships with accounting professionals in the way Hightower has. Intuit came into the market a few years ago determined to grab a major share of the business in a market that had been fractured among many different software companies. And has done well in that effort.
But Intuit markets POS systems through resellers who are certified for that line. And while the Mountain View, Calif.-based company also has more than 50,000 ProAdvisors, they aren't involved in the POS game, at least not yet. However, the company notes that the channel program personnel, led by BJ Schaknowski, "is working on improvements in how Intuit Solution Providers and QuickBooks ProAdvisors work together to cultivate and close a sale and then provide installation and training afterwards. They expect to have something in the next week or two."
