ARMOR Safe Technologies and EZUniverse Inc. Announce Global, Strategic Partnership

THE COLONY, Texas & MAHWAH, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Armor Safe Technologies (ARMOR) and EZUniverse Inc. (EZU), today proudly announced a global strategic partnership that will commence collaboration between the two companies.

The new partnership agreement will greatly expand the market footprint for both organizations in the near future. Integration of ARMOR’s “smart safe technology” with EZU’s latest 360iQ solution removes vulnerabilities from the cash handling procedures, dramatically improving the Loss Prevention abilities of both solutions.

“We are excited to partner with Armor Safe Technologies, which allows us to offer leading ‘smart safe’ technology to our clients, making the 360iQ solution the only system successfully addressing loss prevention issues between POS ‘cash drops’ and bank deposits.”

— Leszek James, CEO of EZUniverse

The new system ties store POS “cash drops” and every “smart safe” deposit, providing the ability to oversee each event over synchronized video via cameras installed in the store and even inside the “smart safe”.

“Armor's CacheSYSTEM and CacheNET line of cash management safes have been integrated with 360iQ solution from EZUniverse. With this integrated offering from both EZU and ARMOR, it is now possible to have picture-perfect visibility of every cash dollar that is flowing through the business,” stated Larry Robinson, President of Armor Safe Technologies. “This system is so complete, that I may consider getting back into the retail business. In my earlier career we ran 7-Eleven stores for 12 years and cash control was always a headache. This consolidated system makes it easy to control and monitor all aspects of the business."

“We are excited to partner with Armor Safe Technologies, which allows us to offer leading “smart safe” technology to our clients, making the 360iQ solution the only system successfully addressing loss prevention issues between POS “cash drops” and bank deposits.” said EZUniverse’s CEO, Leszek James. “I see a significant and positive shift within the QSR industry, where the top players have begun to recognize that the technology itself is not a solution to the shrinking bottom line problem. Technology is rather an accessory to the solution, and the 360iQ product addresses this challenge perfectly by integrating several best in class technologies into one comprehensive solution. 360iQ allows users to utilize all those disparate technologies and help them to produce tangible benefits by re-capturing hidden monetary value, lost today in not properly optimized operations”.

Media Contacts

Armor Safe Technologies:
Michael Robinson, EVP
Phone: +1-972-624-5734 x199
mrobinson@armorsafe.com
or
EZUniverse:
Adam Hollanek EVP Marketing
Mob: +1-908-787-5595
adam.hollanek@ezuniverse.com

Integration with Balance Innovations' vbSecure Safe Management Tool

Lenexa, Kansas: Balance Innovations has introduced its latest solution for retailers: vbSecure, an electronic-safe management tool. The solution is available now and is offered in a no-cost pilot program.

vbSecure, which integrates with safes from Armor Safe Technologies, makes managing electronic safes more efficient by automatically integrating safe transactions with the POS through VeriBalance, Balance Innovations’ cash office management solution. vbSecure is primarily used in three ways: with electronic safes in fuel centers, with electronic safes being used to replace podium drawers at the front end of a retail store, and with electronic safes located in the cash office. 

When used with a safe in a fuel center, vbSecure allows remote monitoring of safe funds from the cash office and automatically incorporates funds from the safe in daily reconciliation. Because funds are accounted for automatically, cash can be transported to and from the fuel center less often, reducing risk. 

At the front end, electronic safes can be used in place of a podium drawer. In this case, vbSecure allows the cash office to remain closed throughout the day and automates front end processes. It also eliminates the need for manual reports because the transactions to the safe are accounted for electronically.

When used with an electronic safe in the cash office, vbSecure reduces labor associated with preparing daily deposits, as well as armored car pickups and associated fees. Because it is integrated with the POS through VeriBalance, it also eliminates manual entry and transposition errors.

“Armor Safe Technologies’ electronic safes are a great loss prevention tool and vbSecure adds another layer of protection and efficiency to these safes, making a great tool even better.”

— Rob Bryer, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Balance Innovations

“We are so pleased to partner with Balance Innovations to provide retailers with this solution. Working with them creates opportunities for Armor Safe to enter new markets and further expand our reach.”

— Larry Robinson, President and Managing Partner of Armor Safe Technologies

Visit Balance Innovations in booth 1931 at the National Retail Federation Conference and Expo January 13-14 for a demonstration of vbSecure, as well as the company’s other retail reconciliation solutions.

About Balance Innovations

Balance Innovations is the leading developer of reconciliation and cash office management solutions for the retail industry. Our solutions integrate seamlessly with existing POS technologies to simplify and improve retailers' cash office management operations. Balance Innovations' premier product, VeriBalance, is an easy-to-use software solution that is helping retailers across the United States and Canada increase profitability and improve operations by reducing labor, bank fees and shrink while standardizing and enforcing best practices and corporate policies.  Other products include: vbEPIXTM, an electronic check processing solution; vbSecureTM, an electronic-safe management product; vbScoutTM, a self-checkout management tool; and vbInSightTM, a corporate reporting product. Customers range from independent grocers to Fortune 50 retailers. For more information, visit www.balanceinnovations.com.

About Armor Safe Technologies

Armor Safe Technologies specializes in the development, manufacturing and servicing of the industry’s most innovative cash-management systems. Armor safes validate, count and secure cash in cassettes ready for delivery to the bank, establishing an effective closed-loop solution to many of the toughest challenges facing retailers: loss prevention, employee accountability and financial transparency. Retailers around the world rely on Armor’s intelligent safes as a crucial component of their cash management processes. For more information, visit www.armorsafe.com.

Armor Safe Technologies Announces Collaboration with Unisys and Protea Coin

The Colony, TX, 17th of July, 2009: In these challenging economic times, cash flow is one of the biggest concerns for many businesses. Faster cash flow turnover can mean more money to invest in crucial resources like inventory and people. Now retailers can gain near-immediate credit for their cash deposits before the currency is physically removed from their Armor safes and taken to the bank, eliminating delays associated with transporting currency, thanks to a collaboration between Armor Safe Technologies, Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) and Protea Coin Group, a subsidiary of the Mvelaphanda Group (JSE: MVB).

In 2006, Armor and Protea Coin began deploying GSM devices with Armor safes throughout South Africa. The wireless devices allowed realtime collection of data from Armor safes on a transaction by transaction basis and provided the appropriate parties secure remote visibility of current and end of day totals, armored car collections and diagnostic information concerning the status of the safes. For more than three years, Protea Coin has been enhancing the solution in response to feedback from their customers, banking partners, and internal stakeholders in the program. Today, Protea Coin monitors approximately 1400 Armor safes in South Africa in realtime and provides same-day credit to retailers’ accounts using this robust, mature solution.

At the Independent Armored Car Operators Association conference being held today in Boston, Armor Safe Technologies and Unisys announced that they are working together to build upon that technology and offer it to retailers in the United States and beyond. “In Unisys, I’m confident we’ve selected the right partner to work with us in delivering this capability to banks and armored carriers and to their retail customers in the United States and beyond,” said Larry Robinson, president, Armor Safe Technologies.

Monitored by a secure wireless data network, the solution verifies and records amounts deposited and, using a provided payment interface, allows banks to quickly credit the retailer. Furthermore, it provides retailers with the management of reports by location over the internet and sends email and SMS notifications of critical business events.

Armor Safe Technologies and Unisys are providing the service to retailers through banks and armored carriers looking to augment their cash management offerings. “When it comes to profitably managing cash, every second counts,” said Alan Howard, president, Unisys Payment Systems. “Our new solution provides clear benefits to retailers and carriers, and complements services for banks. Certainly large banks see the benefit, and this can also be a game-changer for community banks, allowing them to compete on an equal footing with larger banks.”

About Unisys

Unisys is a worldwide information technology company. We provide a portfolio of IT services, software, and technology that solves critical problems for clients. We specialize in helping clients secure their operations, increase the efficiency and utilization of their data centers, enhance support to their end users and constituents, and modernize their enterprise applications. To provide these services and solutions, we bring together offerings and capabilities in outsourcing services, systems integration and consulting services, infrastructure services, maintenance services, and high-end server technology. With more than 26,000 employees, Unisys serves commercial organizations and government agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit www.unisys.com.

About Protea Coin Group

Protea Security Services and Coin Security Group, both wholly-owned subsidiaries of Mvelaphanda Group Limited, joined forces in mid-2007 resulting in the formation of Protea Coin Group, a leading provider of security services to the South Africa market that offers a broad range of integrated services to ensure a holistic approach to security. Protea Coin Group was voted one of the top 500 South African Companies by Topco. For more information, visit www.proteacoin.co.za.

About Armor Safe Technologies

Founded in 2002, Armor Safe Technologies specializes in the development, manufacturing and servicing of the industry’s most innovative cash-management systems. Armor safes validate, count and secure cash in cassettes ready for delivery to the bank, establishing an effective closed-loop solution to many of the toughest challenges facing retailers: loss prevention, employee accountability and financial transparency. Retailers around the world rely on Armor’s intelligent safes as a crucial component of their cash management processes. For more information, visit www.armorsafe.com. Armor Safe Technologies is a registered trademark of Armor Safe Technologies, LLC. All other brands and products referenced herein are acknowledged to be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Armor Safe Technologies Locks Up New Headquarters

The Colony, TX, 4th of July, 2008: Armor Safe Technologies is finishing out 23,500 square feet to its specifications in a new commercial development in The Colony, TX. "The company needs the tenfold increase in space because of soaring demand for the type of safes we assemble and sell", said Larry Robinson, President of Armor Safe Technologies. The company plans to occupy its new home on August 1st, 2008.

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IT’S A LOCK: From left, Armor Safe Technologies President Larry Robinson and operations manager Becky Robinson stand with Robert Fulford of CB Richard Ellis, Blake Kendrick of Stream Realty and Justin Ridnour of Jackson-Shaw at Armor Safe’s future corporate home in The Colony.

“The company needs the tenfold increase in space because of soaring demand for the type of safes we assemble and sell.”

— Larry Robinson, President of Armor Safe Technologies

Armor Safe Technologies Acquires Namsys' Commercial Self Service Product Line

The Colony, TX, 12th of December, 2006: Namsys' suite of technology, now promoted as Armor's CacheNET™ product family, is designed to serve the cash-management needs of large format retailers, distribution centers, casinos, commercial airlines and other high volume cash-intensive retailers. By adding the CacheNET product family to Armor's indsustry-leading CacheSYSTEM® product family, Armor now offers cash-management solutions for retailers of nearly any size.

Armor will immediately begin the integration of the NamSYS product line into the CacheSYSTEM® business with target completion of the transition 1st quarter of 2007.

“The NamSYS products and related NamSYS MCS software will give us access to high volume cash-intensive businesses. We are confident that our proven track record in this market will allow us to grow the sales of the NamSYS product line exponentially. The NamSYS CashNET is an exciting product that allows cash-intensive businesses to deposit up to 150 notes at a time into a 5000 note cassette. Over the next year we will be investing heavily in marketing and engineering to accelerate the momentum NamSYS has created.”

— Larry Robinson, President of Armor Safe Technologies

The benefits of the Namsys product line include:

• Better control of money – Many users receive a return on their investment in less than 12 months due to reduced internal theft and error.
• Greater accountability - The flexible and powerful reporting system records every transaction by user, time and date, providing a complete audit trail of more than one year of data.
• Tremendous time savings - The deposit is electronically validated, counted and secured within a cassette that can be taken directly to the bank, saving managers an hour or more on average each and every day – time they can spend making the business run more efficiently and profitably.
• Increased employee security – Cash exposure is significantly reduced because managers no longer spend hours counting and recounting cash in their office – the deposit is automatically counted.
• State-of-the-art software – The included software interfaces to POS systems as well as providing notification of key management information via email.

A wide range of businesses are starting to embrace the value of automating the cash handling process at the store level. Additional information on details of future product enhancements will be released soon.