POS systems have become an integral part of businesses across the globe as they not only help with billing but can also improve the overall efficiency of the business. But their immense popularity has made them a frequent target among the hacking community as well. The Target retail chain store hack of 2013 served as a perfect example of how vulnerable a business can become if its POS system is not properly secured.
Therefore while choosing between traditional and modern POS systems can indeed be a tough task, one should never forget that no matter which one they choose, the system should be secured properly using specific POS security tools available for this purpose like Comodo Securebox. (Comodo SecureBox is a POS Antivirus Software).
Coming back to the important question: traditional or modern POS system? Let’s try to analyze some of the pros and cons before arriving at a probable answer.
1. Mobility: When it comes to mobility, modern POS systems easily win over their traditional counterparts, as they can be easily carried around anywhere to serve clients. A good example of how mobile modern-day POS systems are can be witnessed in restaurants these days where waiters carry around these devices to take orders. Once the order is taken or created, the same will be dispatched to the kitchen and for billing purposes as well.
Therefore if you’re into a business which desperately needs mobile POS systems, then the modern-day POS systems would suit you the best.
2. Security: Again modern POS systems win hands down. Because, well, they are way better than an open – or even locked – cash register. Moreover, the cash is not even stored on the premises these days and are locked away remotely and can even be tracked using GPS software. Therefore if you’re too concerned about your POS security, you should be choosing modern POS systems.
3. Reporting: Most often businesses use POS systems for reporting purposes as well. And if you’re one such business, there’s no doubt you should go for the modern ones, as these can help you by generating reports on every aspect of your business. Moreover, keep in mind that efficient reporting can go a long way in improving any business.
4. Ease of Acess: If your business likes to manage data out of its premises, your POS system has to facilitate features like easy data export and safe distribution of data outside of the network. In other words, it should facilitate ease of access. And when it comes to ease of access, modern cloud-based POS systems do the job pretty easily. Therefore Modern POS System – 4 and Traditional POS Systems – 0.
5. Cost: This is probably the only area where traditional POS systems will have an edge over the modern ones. They are usually not heavy on your pockets. Therefore if you are an SMB (small and medium-sized business), traditional POS systems would probably suit you the best. Even then, you’ll be confronted with the uncomfortable question that whether compromising on your security was a good decision or not. Because almost every business these days which employs POS systems can become the target of hackers.
Final Thoughts:
As you can see, when crucial factors which drive businesses are taken into account, modern-day POS systems emerge as the clear winners. They are mobile, offer good security, come equipped with extensive reporting capabilities and also support easy data access. Benefits which are too important to be ignored over the fact they are over-priced. Therefore opt for modern POS systems – and don’t forget to enhance the POS security of these systems using the right POS security tools.
