PINNACLE CORP. SUMMIT DRAWS RECORD ATTENDANCE, INDUSTRY LEADERS FOR 25TH YEAR

Southlake, Texas – September 17, 2015 – The Pinnacle Corporation concluded its 25th annual Summit User Conference with record attendance and strong enthusiasm for the expertise Pinnacle provides their clients in the convenience store and fuel services industries.

Technical sessions on topics such as Enterprise Performance Management™ (EPM), Pinnacle’s business intelligence tool, were highly anticipated. William Baine, CEO of Git’ N Go Market in Clinton, Tennessee commented he “Cannot wait to talk about the Pinnacle product that makes me money – EPM.” Less experienced users also benefited from the comprehensive instruction they received. “Ah-ha moment of the day: Finding out we’ve only scratched the surface of using EPM said Michael Hines, Accounting Manager for Oneida Indian Nation/SavOn in Oneida, New York.

The three day event offered 32 technical sessions covering product lines serving retail c-store, fuel solutions and point of sale (POS). The industry’s regulatory and technical environment is rapidly evolving; the timely information provided makes the annual conference a standout event for many. Kim Gutgesell, IT Management Analyst for Petro Star Inc., in Anchorage, Alaska observed, “After being away from Summit (and the c-store industry) for a few years, I sure do have a lot to catch up on!”

Keynote industry speakers included Gray Taylor, Executive Director of Conexxus, and Leroy Kelsey, Director of Industry Analytics for NACS. Taylor gave attendees a wake-up call on the future of EMV and fraud syndicates. Kelsey furnished analytics with detailed insight into c-store consumer demographics and purchasing trends. Jenny Bullard, Chief Information Officer at Flash Foods in Waycross, Georgia served as the master of ceremonies. William McKnight of the McKnight Consulting Group addressed a general session on the importance of data as a commodity.

John Brenkus, best known as the host of ESPN’s Emmy Award Winning “Sports Science” presented information from his television show to draw parallels between success in athletics and the business world. A highlight for many was an evening at Circle R Ranch in Flower Mound, Texas where Pinnacle hosted a night of Western themed dining, dancing and live music.

About The Pinnacle Corporation

The Pinnacle Corporation provides leading-edge automation technology to the rapidly evolving convenience store and petroleum industries. Pinnacle delivers products that automate the broad spectrum of convenience store operations and supply chain management of fuel operations.

Nationwide, Pinnacle’s products and services are used daily in thousands of convenience outlets to automate and improve their store operations, and by fuel marketers to increase their efficiency in the complex management of fuel delivery.

Press Contact:

Adam Mitchell
Marketing Manager
The Pinnacle Corporation
1-817-795-5555 ext. 258
amitchell@ec2-3-137-192-69.us-east-2.compute.amazonaws.com

 

 

 

 

 

Pinnacle Renews Microsoft® Partner Status for 11th Consecutive Year

Automation technology solution provider further distinguishes itself by earning Gold status in the Microsoft Partner Network

ARLINGTON, Texas, June 24 — The Pinnacle Corporation, the leading supplier of automation technology to the convenience retail and petroleum industries, announced that it has renewed its certification status in the Microsoft Partner Network, and earned the highest (Gold) level status available. This achievement demonstrates Pinnacle’s ongoing ability to meet and exceed Microsoft customers’ evolving needs in today’s dynamic business environment. To achieve this task Pinnacle completed a set of tests and qualifications to prove a sophisticated level of technology expertise, marking Pinnacle’s 11th consecutive year in earning its way into the Microsoft’s Partner Network program.

“We continue to invest in Microsoft’s Partner Network each year and to achieve the levels we are able to obtain is a significant investment on our part. Our partnership with Microsoft demonstrates our ongoing commitment to evolving technologies that become part of the solutions we deliver to the c-store and petroleum markets, and affords us a level of resources and training from Microsoft professionals that we would not otherwise be able to obtain.” said Drew Mize, Pinnacle’s Chief Operating Officer.

Microsoft Partners receive a rich set of benefits, including access, training, and support for Microsoft platforms and tools, providing a unique and competitive advantage in the channel. The Microsoft Partner Program was originally launched in October 2003; Pinnacle has maintained its Partner certification status since 2005.

As one of the requirements to participate in the Microsoft Partner Network, Pinnacle had to declare and qualify for at least one specialized Microsoft Competency. These Competencies are designed to help differentiate a partner’s capabilities in specific Microsoft technologies, and each has a unique set of requirements and benefits formulated to accurately represent specific skills and services that partners bring to the technology industry. This year Pinnacle achieved two unique Microsoft Competencies:

Gold Application Development – recognizing expertise as a Microsoft ISV, software development, and web development capabilities.

Silver Enterprise Resource Planning – recognizing expertise in deploying Microsoft Dynamics business management solutions, with specialization in Microsoft’s Dynamics GP™ platform.

For information on any Pinnacle product or service, e-mail sales-info@ec2-3-137-192-69.us-east-2.compute.amazonaws.com, call 1-800-366-1173, or visit the Pinnacle website at www.pinncorp.com. 

About Pinnacle

The Pinnacle Corporation is a leader in the automation technology industry focusing on the rapidly evolving convenience store and petroleum industries. Pinnacle delivers products that automate the broad spectrum of convenience store operations and supply chain management of fuel operations. Nationwide, Pinnacle’s products and services are used daily in thousands of convenience outlets to automate and improve their store operations and by fuel marketers to increase their efficiency in the complex management of fuel delivery.

Contact Information:

Heather Smith
The Pinnacle Corporation
1-800-366-1173, extension 205

Security – PABP and Its Impact on the C-Store Industry

Every petroleum convenience retailer in the US is impacted by cardholder security changes being driven by Visa. You will comply with these new provisions or face the risk of hefty fines and penalties associated with a point of sale data breach; or worse, Visa may stop taking your card transactions.This educational webinar focuses on Visa’s PABP (Payment Application Best Practices) and the relationship between Payment Applications, Merchants and Service Providers. It outlines a general overview of PABP requirements and how to know if your POS system complies, and discusses deadlines and impacts by merchant tier. Find out what the deadlines are and how they may impact you.

In addition, this Webinar will help you to gain a better understanding on how Visa’s PABP changes fit into your overall PCI strategy. Interested in learning more about this Webinar or want to receive a copy of the recorded audio and video?

Get Rid of your Back Office! – The Benefits of a Browser-Based Enterprise Solution

As costs increase and margins fall, it is critical to an organization’s success to be able to streamline systems to take advantage of current technologies. Replacing legacy systems and bulky hardware footprints with web-based thin-client systems greatly impacts your bottom line by reducing the dollar investment in hardware and the manpower necessary to maintain those systems.This educational Webinar will review the challenges of maintaining disparate systems and the costs associated with multiple hardware and software platforms. It will focus on the strengths of browser-based retail enterprise systems, providing you with the detailed information you need to make informed decisions.

If you are interested in learning the benefits and cost savings that result from implementing a browser-based solution, this Webinar is for you. You will gain a better understanding of how an enterprise web-based system can really save you time and money.

Fighting Credit Card Fees with Alternate Methods of Payment

It’s time to get real! Sky high fuel prices result in sky high credit card interchange fees. Credit Card fees are so high that every gallon of gas costs retailers 10¢ in fees. Ten Cents a Gallon!Alternative, non-cash payment methods really aren’t an “Alternative”; they’re a must for retailers who want to save their bottom line. Find out what you need to know about alternative payment options and how they can work best for your business.

This webinar will shed light on the non-cash payment options that can help you move shoppers to cheaper forms of payment. You’ll hear about the acceptance rate of payment alternatives such as ACH, Stored Value, Loyalty Rewards, PIN Credit and Online Payment alternatives. You’ll also learn about emerging technologies that you should be watching for.

Achieving PCI Compliance with Application Whitelisting

PCI Compliance validation is required of all merchants and service providers. Failure to achieve PCI Compliance could result in crushing monthly financial penalties as high as $25,000.The penalty for a compromise can be as high as $500,000 per incident. Pinnacle leverages Bit9’s security features to build PCI compliance into Palm POS™. Discover how Pinnacle and Bit9 can help you protect your POS hardware and software.

This webinar will show you how Pinnacle and Bit9 can help you protect your POS hardware and software.

 

Achieving Efficiency with a Host Based Retail Management Solution

Speed and timeliness of data is key. Waiting days for store information to be audited and available for reporting is an impediment to a successful organization. An enterprise-centric solution removes the lag time out of this process and moves the auditing staff a major step forward in diagnosing and correcting problems while they still matter.

This case study will review the successes realized by two convenience store retailers who implemented Symphony, auditor – a centralized retail accounting management solution. Join us as they share their views on moving from legacy fat-client systems to a browser-based solution to streamline the process of managing store data. Learn the advantages of gaining central control of data for easier, faster setup and configuration as well as training. Understand the benefits of auditing store data utilizing exception management tools to quickly review data and correct problems so that accurate reporting can be accessed by all stakeholders.

Restoring Customer Loyalty at the Pump Eliminate Fuel Theft

Fuel theft increases as fuel prices increase, minimal profits turn into large losses and, as retailers elect to require prepay, the good customer gets another convenience taken away.With the recent experience of rapidly rising prices with an extremely high top and extremely narrow margin, many fuel retailers have moved to requiring prepay in response to the fuel theft losses but this move can result in a different kind of loss, the lost sale. The inconvenience of prepay drives some customers away while those who remain spend less inside because of the inconvenient two-trip transaction.

This presentation will explain how LoyalPass™ pump authorization technology works to secure your fuel, save you money and engender consumer loyalty. We’ll also discuss the benefits of the multiuse functionality unique to the Pinnacle Loyalty Solutions and Palm POS combination.

Pinnacle’s EPM Business Intelligence – Make Today’s Decisions with Today’s Data

With a wealth of business intelligence information delivered through its user-friendly desktop portals, dashboards, and customizable reports and views, EPM can make a direct and positive impact on everyone involved in operating a successful convenience store chain.This online session will accompany a 4Q 2009 promotional offer available to our clients that are considering this high-value, business energizing offering. We will also review the promotion savings program, client experiences, implementation steps, and education requirements.

PCI-DSS Vendor Safe: PCI in Plain English

Retailers can benefit from Vendor Safe’s secure VPN solution. Their VPN capabilities can provide secure remote access to multi-site operators for real time reporting and other enterprise applications – all for an affordable, fixed monthly fee.   VendorSafe’s solution is IT-friendly, allows rapid installation, and requires no IP changes to LAN or WAN. No onsite technician is required! Pinnacle clients can also take advantage of Vendor Safe’s TrustVault™ Certificate” that provides the assurance of financial protection against a data breach.Join us and learn how Vendor Safe addresses the daunting task of PCI-DSS compliance quickly, simply and cost effectively. Learn how to create your own 30-day project plan and timeline to PCI compliance, including securing your POS environment and putting in place policies and procedures for card handling employees.