2001 Nra Show

The last day of the National Restaurant Association's 82nd Annual Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show closed not with a bang but with a whisper for technology vendors. Some technology exhibitors expressed that they didn't see a lot of traffic at the show, but that they did make contacts with representatives who were decision makers in their prospective companies.

Wireless technology definitely came out as the forerunner in the closest thing there was to a buzz at the Technology Pavilion. The emergence of wireless as a major trend in foodservice technology was evident at many booths, with vendors emphasizing the mobility wireless offers with systems such as handheld POS terminals.

The theme at this year's show can be summed up in one word: simplicity. Many vendors stressed the importance of presenting technology to the restaurant industry in a package that offers solutions that don't force operators to become technology wizards. Solutions that don't require extensive technology background or operator involvement for implementation and upkeep were in abundance. It seems the current condition of the economy has not so much impaired technology vendors, but caused them to re-think their presentation into one that is more practical and easily grasped.

On the trade show floor, vendors continued to demonstrate and showcase their latest technologies. Following lists examples of what was found on the floor:

* VitalLink Business Systems Inc., a vertical service provider of Internet-based management tools for restaurants and bars, soft-launched their VitalLink HQ product, which combines VitalLink's applications, including VitalLink Remote Business Monitoring, VitalLink POS and VitalLink Beverage Tracker, into one succinct service. The official launch is scheduled for June 1. HQ is delivered over a high-speed, secure Internet connection, and all data, software and applications for ViatalLink HQ are hosted at a remote data-center, which is managed by VitalLink.

* In its tradeshow debut, Seql Corp., a Bloomington, Ind.-based software development company for the restaurant industry, was on-hand to demonstrate their table management product, Restaurant Lynx Information Management System. The system is customizable and integrates with an existing POS to offer a continuous screen view of the tables in the restaurant and the status at each of them. Some of the features for the system include Windows-based software, integrated time and attendance, internal e-mail system and built-in credit card processing.

* TouchPak made their NRA debut with the TouchPak system, a broadband, wireless product that combines the functionality of promotions, line management tools, advertising and guest entertainment systems into a single, handheld device. Features include custom content, pre-ordering, guest paging and guest loyalty.

* Long Range Systems Inc., providers of coaster paging technology, introduced Coaster Call, their new release of the Original Coaster Call guest paging system. The new coasters are sealed with a rubber bumper and resist water damage and breakage due to wear and tear. In addition, they have an anti-theft feature to decrease pager loss and transmit using a UHF frequency.

* Area 101 Inc., providers of a complete e-business suite of applications designed specifically for the catering, take-out and delivery sectors of the foodservice industry, introduced the Order Management Suite (OMS) version 3.2 at the show. The OMS 3.2 is an Internet application that features the ability for customers to order wirelessly through their PDAs and cell phones, in addition to being able to order via the Internet. Area 101 representatives demonstrated the new user interface for the OMS at the show as well.

* nanonation.net, a Lincoln Neb.-based online media and software company focused on custom Internet-enabled entertainment access and information services in public f