Rain Technology, the innovator of the world’s most advanced directional display technologies, today announced that its POS Switchable Privacy™ display solution has been selected as the winner of the “SalesTech Innovation Award” in the 7th annual MarTech Breakthrough Awards program conducted by MarTech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global marketing, sales and advertising technology industry today.

Winner: Rain Technology POS Switchable Privacy

Rain Technology’s POS Switchable Privacy display protects against visual hackers, snoopers and shoulder surfers at ATM, kiosk or point of sale (POS) displays in retail stores, restaurants and other public settings. A Privacy Mode obscures visibility of the display for everyone other than the primary viewer, visually protecting customer data so transactions can be completed with confidence. Once a customer engagement or transaction is complete, the POS display defaults to a Widescreen Mode, allowing retailers to present advertising, customer incentives and programs, or other messaging or branding. Display Screen Branding™ technology can additionally provide a unique logo or messaging design to peripheral viewers while the display is in Privacy Mode.

“Rain Technology’s POS Switchable Privacy is a game changer in the POS market sector,” said Ivan Iliev, chief operating officer at partner Datecs, a leading manufacturer, developer and seller of POS solutions. “We are excited to be the first POS display company to offer Switchable Privacy to large retail chains that assures customer privacy while completing transactions. Plus, when idle, the Datecs POS display can electronically promote retailer branding.”

Technically speaking, Rain Technology holds the patent for creating a thin, embedded proprietary layer within the liquid crystal module of a display screen. The patented approach is focused on directing and controlling the light coming out of the displays, allowing for privacy to be switched on and off. The design parameters such as privacy angle and percentage visibility are determined during panel manufacturing to meet the specified geometry and activated by a hardware or software trigger, electronically switching a display from Share to Privacy Mode to control the viewing angle.

State of the Market

Customer and staff-operated POS terminal numbers are expanding rapidly, and those same customers are increasingly sensitive to their purchases and data being “visually hacked,” particularly when the POS terminals are placed close to each other or in high-traffic retail settings. The POS terminal market size is estimated at $100.24 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $151.97 billion by 2029, according to Mordor Intelligence. LexisNexis’ 2021 True Costs of Fraud study found the average U.S. retailer faced 1,515 fraud attempts each month in 2020, and nearly half of those attempts were successful.

For consumers, a private POS experience creates a higher degree of comfort in engaging with content, whether they purchase without judgment, check financial information, provide candid feedback, enter private information, or even tip their server. For retailers, greater engagement and brand affinity mean more opportunities to hold the customer’s attention for cross-selling. Increasing digital engagement also means better data capture for optimized pricing, promotion and product insight.

“Customers want to feel that retailers are paying attention to their privacy and the protection of their data. A POS terminal is a visible manifestation of this, and poor attention to privacy may suggest a similar attitude to customer data. Retailers who care about customer security create positive brand sentiment and greater brand engagement,” said Robert Ramsey, CEO of Rain Technology. “Thank you to MarTech Breakthrough for acknowledging this technology that helps retailers deliver a customer experience that elevates privacy, demonstrates their dedication to staying technologically current, and differentiates them from the competition.”

MarTech Breakthrough Awards

The mission of the MarTech Breakthrough Awards is to honor excellence and recognize the innovation, hard work and success in a range of marketing, sales and advertising technology related categories, including marketing automation, customer experience, performance marketing, AdTech, SalesTech, marketing analytics, content and social marketing, mobile marketing, and many more. This year’s program attracted thousands of nominations from over 15 different countries throughout the world.

“This novel system from Rain Technology has benefits for consumers, retailers and financial institutions. Retailers adopting POS devices may utilize physical shields and frames to protect themselves and their customers from risk. Yet, well-practiced hackers can still steal PINs and other sensitive information or surreptitiously record images,” said Steve Johansson, managing director at MarTech Breakthrough. “Rain Technology’s Switchable Privacy solution renders these hacking practices next to impossible. Congratulations on being our pick for the SalesTech Innovation Award! The technology delivers two advantages to retailers and customers through its switchable modes: better communication and engagement without jeopardizing sensitive data.”

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