Independent software vendors (ISVs) who have expertise in developing applications for Point of Sale (POS), often face issues while integrating their software with the best mobile printers. With several printer brands flooding the market, it is important for ISVs to choose the best printer suitable for customers’ use cases.

1. Guidelines for ISVs to Select the Best Mobile POS Printer
Independent software vendors (ISVs) who have expertise in developing applications for Point of
Sale (POS), often face issues while integrating their software with the best mobile printers. With
several printer brands flooding the market, it is important for ISVs to choose the best printer
suitable for customers’ use cases.
While it is important for customers to choose a
reputable/experienced POS software vendor who can
develop ideal POS application to suit their business, for
ISVs it is equally important to develop a software
which can, not only suitable for respective industry
and can be customized for individual vendors, be
integrated with all POS hardware components
seamlessly.
Let’s discuss the guidelines for ISVs to follow while integrating their POS software for mobile POS
printers.
According to Aileen Maldonado, product manager for Epson America’s Point-of-Sale (POS)
Solutions Division, POS printers of different brands are made to function at optimal level under
different environments and climatic conditions. For example, impact printers are best suitable to
work in humid and hot conditions such as restaurant kitchen compared to thermal printers. ISVs
must choose the correct printer to suit their customer needs. Whether the printer is used to print
only receipts, labels or documents that need to be preserved or not, accordingly, choices must
be made between thermal transfer and direct thermal printing.
With continuous changes in technology for POS applications, software vendors must think in
terms of choosing a mobile printer that has futuristic design and supports both PC-based POS
systems and also smart devices such as tablets/smart phones for better customer experience.

2. A POS printer with a flexible design can add
values and improve ROI quotient. Receipt
printers which can be fitted at POS counters can
be a good choice for retailers who have limited
space and want to maintain clean and
uncluttered space. If you wish to have a queue
buster at your store, a mobile printer that can be
fitted in a belt clip will be the ideal choice.
Printers coming with flexible connectivity such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi can make them versatile and
business friendly. Since consumables such as paper rolls and ribbons can eat up the profit, ISVs
should choose printers which can work with a range of media sizes and quality.
While selecting a POS printer, POS software vendors should make sure that the printer is rugged,
durable and at the same time moderately priced. But, cheap printers can have shorter life. They
become financial liability for users incurring frequent expenses due to breakdowns and
replacement of parts.
Cheaper POS printers can be more expensive in the long run and can affect customer experience
too, says Maldonado, who further adds that buyers should check the performance history of POS
printers under various conditions.
Maldonado explains that ISVs should decide on printers with an eye on future. It should not be
the case that you buy a new printer today and update software with new features after a few
days. One should buy a printer that should be packed with features for future changes to lower
the total cost of ownership.
“For example, our TM-T88V and TM-T88VI series allow users to change interface to support new
features and functionality,” she explains.