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January 18th, 2013

Point-of-Rental™ Systems Rolls Out Enterprise 2013

Point-of-Rental has begun releasing the update many companies have been waiting for – Enterprise 2013.

Currently being installed on a rolling schedule to users on software support, Enterprise 2013 is the most monumental update in Point-of-Rental’s thirty year history. The entire rental management software program has been converted to the Microsoft .NET Framework which has been a long laborious task, but one definitely worth the effort.

Among many benefits, the move to the new framework ensures the longevity of Point-of-Rental software, and because .NET allows integration with leading edge technology, their programmers can continue providing rental companies with the most advanced rental software available.

With the conversion being the bulk of this update, the majority of changes are obviously “under the hood,” but Point-of-Rental’s innovative team of software engineers still packed in plenty of features that are sure to impress.

For a firsthand look at Enterprise 2013, be sure to stop by the Point-of-Rental booth, number 1661, at The Rental Show.

About Point-of-Rental™ Systems

Point-of-Rental™ Systems is the leading provider of Microsoft Windows® server based rental management software in North America.  Over 1500 stores are using Point-of-Rental™ for their equipment rental software, event rental software or general rental software throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, the Caribbean, and South Africa.  More information may be obtained at www.point-of-rental.com or (800)944-7368.

January 7th, 2013

Point-of-Rental™ Systems Celebrates 30 Years

Introduced in 1983, this year marks Point-of-Rental™ Systems' 30th anniversary.

Point-of-Rental™ Systems started in 1983 as a division of Overland Rentals, Inc., an equipment rental store opened a year earlier by former NASA software engineers that ventured into entrepreneurship. Shortly after opening the store, it became clear that rental management software would dramatically improve productivity. Noting that many of the computer languages used at NASA could be used for writing rental software, Point-of-Rental™ Software became a reality.

Bob Shaffer, a company founder who is now retired commented, “The first edition of Point-of-Rental™ Software printed rental/sale contracts, controlled inventory, stored reservations and maintained accounts receivable. It was a huge improvement over doing everything manually! But, it was nothing compared to the current version which is a 100% Microsoft Windows® Server product with features and options such as Dispatching using GPS, integrated credit card processing, dashboards, Purchase Orders and integrated web site hosting.”

Thirty years later, Point-of-Rental™ Systems has not slowed down at providing top notch service and software to their customers. To assure they remain the leader in rental management software, Point-of-Rental™ Systems makes available yearly updates and enhancements in order to keep businesses on the cutting edge. Because their programmers know the rental business, Point-of-Rental™ Systems has long been the answer to rental management software needs and does not plan on slowing down.

December 6, 2012

Point-of-Rental™ Systems Hires New Employee

Point-of-Rental™ Systems recently hired Erica Wright as manager of public relations and marketing. In this position, Wright’s main responsibilities will include creating a long-term marketing plan for the company, communicating with advertising outlets and overseeing all communication with the public.

Prior to joining Point-of-Rental™ Systems, Wright worked as a technical writer and communications moderator for AOL, Inc. in Virginia while completing her Master’s degree in corporate communications and public relations from Georgetown University.

“As I close in on my two week anniversary with Point-of-Rental, I am excited to be a part of such a respected company within the rental industry. I see nothing but growth and opportunity ahead of us,” says Wright.

September 28, 2012

International Conference Highlights

Point-of-Rental™ System users streamed into Dallas this week for the rental management software company’s inaugural International Conference. While the company has hosted its annual user meeting in conjunction with The Rental Show for nearly 30 years, this International Conference is the first of its scale at its Dallas headquarters. The three-day event kicked off with a humorous introduction and brief history by company president and CEO Wayne Harris. Attendees were given a sneak peak at Point-of-Rental’s new .NET software currently in Beta testing. A full day of training and round-table events followed, covering topics that included Inventory Management, Rate Management, Data Analysis aligning with ARA’s Rental Market Metrics, and utilizing data for marketing purposes. The day wound up with a MLB game to see the Texas Rangers play the Oakland A’s. Thursday’s schedule included networking, accounting, security measures and PCI compliance, more round table discussions, and mingling with Point-of-Rental employees, while Friday’s half-day agenda covered the many uses and versatility of Crystal Reports.

Conference attendee Dan Farrell, of George’s Tool Rental in the Philadelphia area, came simply to learn more about Point-of-Rental software, intending to take training tips back to his employees. He was pleasantly surprised by the extra touches the event offered. “The whole thing was very well done,” he said. “When I got off the plane and came to my hotel, I found a nice little gift bag from Point-of-Rental waiting for me—with a handwritten note. Very classy.”

Todd Leiker, General Manager of High Reach Equipment in Wichita, said he enjoyed the .NET preview and seeing how the software continues to improve. To Leiker, networking is a nice bonus for attending the event, but he admits the training itself is relevant and motivating. “I’ve been around Point-of-Rental since the mid 80’s,” Leiker said. “I thought I knew it all— Now I do!”.

July 13, 2012

Wyoming Cat becomes 1500th Point-of-Rental™ Systems Installation

Point-of-Rental™ Systems, a software company that develops Windows®-based rental management software, recently installed their 1500th system in a Wyoming Cat Rental Store. The installation was part of Wyoming Rents’ company-wide software conversion of all seven rental locations throughout Wyoming. Of Point-of-Rental’s 1500 system installations, over 500 have resulted by converting customers from competing software programs.

In business for nearly 30 years, the software company has installed systems throughout the United States and Canada, as well as the Caribbean, South Africa, and Guam. For most of the past three decades, Point-of-Rental catered mainly to the general rental, tool and party rental stores, with heavy equipment, lift equipment, and a/v equipment rental stores adding a broad portion of the sales over the past five years. Now, even niche markets are installing Point-of-Rental software, bumping the number of Point-of-Rental™ Systems installed in 2011 to a record 30% higher than the prior 2010 selling season.

The company’s vice president of sales, Greg Bennett, predicts another record year for 2012 with the number of installations already 20% higher than last year. “As our programmers continue to churn out innovative, flexible software applications that are fine-tuned to the workings of the rental industry, more and more companies find that Point-of-Rental is the best tool to manage all aspects of the rental business,” Bennett said.

While the rebounding economy within the rental industry certainly deserves some credit for the company’s record number of installations and conversions, Bennett claims that Point-of-Rental sales remained unaffected by the downturn. “The hallmark of our software is in helping customers realize higher ROI no matter the state of the economy,” said Bennett. “Even in a depressed economy, customers need to become more efficient, increase profits, and increase share in their individual markets, and Point-of-Rental provides the tools to do that.".

May 15, 2012

Point-of-Rental™ Systems Integrates VeriFone Terminals

Point-of-Rental™ Systems recently updated its rental management software to integrate VeriFone secure payment terminals, which provide the highest level of security available in payment processing. Utilizing PayWare Connect Payment Gateway, VeriFone terminals use end-to-end encryption and card-based tokenization, which substitutes values as pointers to the encrypted information. This means that credit card data never enters the rental software, but simply a token number is sent to the merchant’s Point-of-Rental™ System for follow up on charges or refunds. The token removes the liability of stored credit card data. This technology drastically reduces the PCI DSS demands and subsequent expense on the merchant and virtually eliminates the chance of credit card fraud.

In addition, stores using Point-of-Rental’s updated software with VeriFone terminals are able to process debit cards as well as the global standard EMV chip cards, which the U.S. payment infrastructure will be moving to by 2017 according to Visa. EMV chip technology (also known as “chip and pin”) uses a non-reproducible chip and a required PIN, thereby greatly reducing a criminal’s ability to use stolen payment card data. Much of the world already employs EMV chip technology, but the U.S. payment infrastructure has been slow to implement the more secure transaction capabilities, which is why experts claim many U.S. businesses are targets of credit card security attacks. Excluding cards in the U.S., 44 percent of all cards are EMV chip cards, and 74 percent of all terminals are EMV chip-capable, with 62 percent of cross-border transactions conducted with a chip card at a chip terminal. In August 2011, Visa announced plans to accelerate the migration to EMV chip technology in the U.S. by offering several incentives for merchants who upgrade to EMV chip-enabled terminals. Among the incentives is a liability shift away from those who are able to accept EMV chip cards.

Point-of-Rental™ Systems is providing the enhanced security update to all current Point-of-Rental software subscribers who have previously purchased Point-of-Rental’s Integrated Credit Card Module, although VeriFone terminals must be purchased separately through VeriFone in order to utilize the capabilities. As always, Point-of-Rental’s customers are free to choose their own payment card processors.

January 23, 2012

Point-of-Rental™ Systems Integrates FedEx® Shipping Options

Point-of-Rental™ Systems recently added FedEx® shipping capability to the company’s award-winning Enterprise rental management software. Much like the UPS WorldShip® feature introduced in the software earlier this year, FedEx interfaces with the delivery address in the Point-of-Rental™ System contract record to automatically populate the fields and generate shipping labels. In addition, the upcoming release of the software contains an integrated tracking feature which allows you to track shipments directly from your Point-of-Rental™ System. The complete range of shipping options is accessible within the system including air, ground, and international. Designed to help rental businesses reduce shipping errors, the newly integrated feature will certainly increase shipping department efficiency. For more information on this feature, please visit our website or contact Greg Bennett at (800)944-7368.

January 13, 2012

Point-of-Rental™ Systems Wins Innovative Product Awards

Point-of-Rental™ Systems was recently selected the winner of both the Computer Software category and the Technology Enhancement category in the 2011 Rental Equipment Register (RER) Innovative Product Awards competition, making the company a four-time winner of the award. Established in 2003, the RER Innovative Product Awards recognize excellence in new product development within the equipment rental industry. Each year, a panel of industry judges narrows the pool of entries to one winner in each of the 13 categories. The winning modules of Point-of-Rental’s Windows-based rental management software were Dispatch Center with GPS integration that claimed the Computer Software category prize, and integrated Mobile Website Hosting, which won the title in Technology Enhancement.

Dispatch Center with GPS Integration
Point-of-Rental’s winning entry in the Computer Software category fully integrates their Dispatch Center module into the rental management software. “Our software seamlessly gathers and updates contract info from the rental software, allowing the customer service reps, drivers, and the dispatchers to view the same real time data,” stated Jason Albus, Systems Engineer for Point-of-Rental. “Some other systems require users to enter the addresses into a 3rd party program in order to dispatch and track the routes with no updating of the rental software data. Our software transmits contract and jobsite information directly to the truck and tracks the vehicle’s progress in real time.”

The system monitors the progress of each vehicle and records arrival and departure times along with estimated time to the next stop. If a stop is added or removed from a route, those changes are sent directly to the vehicle and the driver is alerted. In addition, management can view historical on-time statuses, vehicle speed and driving history, and can be alerted if drivers enter non-authorized locations.

Special Event Rentals, the largest event rental company in Western Canada, served as a beta test site for the product. With over 100 employees and 20 delivery trucks, the company has hundreds of deliveries and pickups in any given week. “Having a robust dispatch system is a must,” said Thomas Pollard, Vice President of Special Event Rentals. “We have come to depend on and utilize the many features of [Point-of-Rental’s Dispatch] system.”

Special Event staff members plan the routes several days in advance and finalize them the day prior, using the integrated address verification system to determine address validity. At 2am each morning, the route data is automatically uploaded to each truck so that, when the drivers arrive in the morning, they simply pick up their route clipboards, do pre-trip truck inspections, and hit ‘go’ on their truck-mounted Garmin GPS units.

“When a customer calls in requesting delivery ETA, our order-desk staff can give them the information by clicking on route status within the contract,” said Pollard. “Having the integrated GPS cuts back a lot in the phone communication between dispatcher and drivers. Dispatch can send text messages to drivers that appear on the Garmin. In addition, having a GPS in every truck ensures that drivers are on task and not wasting time at the local Starbucks!”

Jason Campisi of South Jersey Party Rentals concurs with the benefits. “Dispatch Center with GPS integration is exactly the product that I have wanted for the past five years. No more plotting out every job manually and figuring out the best route. No more typing up truck manifests in Excel. No more looking at a separate company’s website to track your trucks. This system makes good dispatchers better and helps inexperienced ones avoid costly mistakes. It creates another level of employee accountability with drive times and onsite times. It also gives the sales team good estimated times of arrival for clients without having to talk to the dispatcher 20 times a day.”

Integrated Mobile Website Hosting
Point-of-Rental’s Mobile Website Hosting won the 2011 Innovative Product award in the Technology Enhancement category. The integrated web design service automatically uploads a rental store’s inventory from its Point-of-Rental™ System into a website complete with shopping cart for quote reservations. However, the most recent addition that won the 2011 award is the mobile website version of that. Now, mobile users who browse Point-of-Rental powered websites on their cell phones are automatically redirected to the optimized version specifically designed for small screens. Utilizing an intuitive touch-screen interface, the mobile version allows customers to search the online rental inventory without having to constantly zoom in and out. In addition, the displayed rental inventory is always up-to-date, providing customers on-the-go with current rental and pricing at all times and allowing them to call the store with a simple click of a button.

Chad Clark, Branch Manager for Superior Rents in Missouri, stated that as soon as their smartphone website went live, the business began receiving phone calls and reservations from customers in near-by towns who were searching for rentals on their cell phones. 

Gianna Casale of Casale Rent-All in New York agrees that the award-winning feature makes a difference. “Our mobile website has been a huge hit with our customers!” she said. “Right from their smartphones, our customers in the field are able to look at our rental and sales inventory to find the equipment they need… With just a click of a button, they are connected to us. We also love how new products are added to the website the same day that we add them in our POR inventory—no extra steps needed!”

July 29, 2011

Point-of-Rental™ Systems Announces Corporate Changes

Overland Rentals, Inc., d/b/a Point-of-Rental™ Systems announced today that Bob Shaffer and Steve Husbands have sold their interest in the company to long-term employee and Chief Technical Officer, Wayne Harris. As manager of daily operations, Harris has served as company vice president since 2004, and was recently elected president of the corporation. Shaffer and Husbands will remain on the board, serving as Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer, and will continue working in the company until their retirement sometime in 2012.

“After nearly 30 years with relatively no vacation, it’s time to start enjoying the fruit of our labor,” Shaffer joked as he prepares for a European vacation with his family. “But seriously, we have complete confidence in Wayne’s ability to continue the success of the company,” he said. “Because he has had a vital role in managing the business for so long, plus the fact that we've recently added staff, our customers shouldn't notice any change at all.”

Shaffer and Husbands have been with the company since its founding in 1982 when Overland Rentals, Inc., began as a single tool and equipment rental store in Arlington, Texas. In 1984, the company started its Point-of-Rental™ Systems division to develop, market, and support rental management software. Harris joined the company in 1993 to oversee the research and development of a Windows® based software product. During that phase, the company built a second, larger rental store in Grand Prairie, Texas, adding party and event items to the inventory. In 2001, after several years of development and testing, Point-of-Rental introduced its Enterprise rental management software for Windows® which quickly became an industry bestseller. Three years later, the company sold the rental stores to a related party in order to concentrate on the growing software business. Since then, the award-winning software has skyrocketed with installations now totaling over 1500 stores worldwide.

“We’ve seen tremendous growth over the last several years and are well-positioned to continue providing customers with excellent software necessary to make their businesses profitable,” Harris stated. “I have been privileged to have Bob and Steve as mentors for the past 18 years, and with our team of rental and IT professionals on staff, we will uphold the reputation for excellence that Point-of-Rental™ Systems has earned.”

As part of the transition, the company has hired Greg Bennett, formerly a District Sales Manager at the JLG Caterpillar Alliance Group, to be VP of Sales. Also, Mark Jordan, formerly Special Events Operation Manager with A Classic Party Rental, will be Western Regional Sales Manager, bringing 11 years’ rental experience to the team. Additional support staff was added as well, including Lynne Law, formerly of the leading event rental operation PRO EM. She adds 25 years of rental experience, while Jim Barry, another new support team member, contributes eight years to the staff’s wealth of working rental knowledge.

“An important factor,” Harris adds, “is that, while Bob and Steve are pillars in the rental community, even after their eventual retirement next year our staff’s cumulative rental experience will still make Point-of-Rental the industry’s most rental-savvy software company.”

February 21, 2011

Point-of-Rental™ Systems Releases Enterprise 2011

Point-of-Rental™ Systems recently released their annual update to the Windows® based Enterprise software. Enterprise 2011 will be on display at The Rental Show in booth 4429 in the general tool/homeowner area as well as booth 2838 in the party/special event section.

Although the highly anticipated Point-of-Rental™ Corporate Dashboard received top billing, Enterprise 2011 is plush with new enhancements and features that make common processes more efficient. For example, the Corporate Dashboard keeps a real-time pulse on business performance. Using owner-defined targets, this feature mines Point-of-Rental data to provide informative visual displays. Multiple pre-defined dashboards are available for specific operational roles. Plus, custom dashboards may be defined to optimize company objectives.

Inventory Count allows the inventory process to be done in increments, storing differences between quantities in your system and counted quantities. Once finished, the system makes the changes and automatically posts the accounting entries. Of this feature, Thomas Pollard, Operations Manager of Special Event Rentals in Edmonton, Alberta, writes: “It is so simple and yet so effective. We easily saved 20% time in doing inventory over our previous system. Doing inventory is no longer a process we dread.”

Subrental requests is another feature that makes things easier. Now if an item is overbooked, the counter person can create a Subrental request. The person handling subrentals can then see the pending requests all at once. He or she can create the subrental from the request and it will update the contract accordingly.

For those tired of handling returned checks and writing off bad debt, Enterprise 2011 saves time by automating both procedures. Plus, sales tax paid will still be recaptured for those on accrual accounting.

An optional Service module has been added to handle continuing service for items out on rent. Especially useful for long-term rental items such as Port-a-Pots, which require constant onsite service, users can define the frequency service is required and even the day of the week the service is performed. When users create the service schedule, they can define the Service Truck, Trip Name, Stop Time, Service Customer, and Delivery Instructions. Point-of-Rental’s Dispatch Center optional module automatically integrates this information with routing schedules.

The award winning Wireless Alerts, added in the previous revision, has been enhanced to broaden the scope of automatic contract notifications. Additional enhancements to Enterprise 2011 include future rental analysis, sales commission reports, many other sales reports and features, and a vendor markup matrix, all of which will be on display in Las Vegas.

January 17, 2011

Point-of-Rental™ Systems Wins Innovative Product Award

Point-of-Rental™ Systems' Wireless Alert feature was recently announced as the winner of RER’s Innovative Product Award in the computer software category. The winning entry was introduced in the company’s Enterprise 2010 software release that was distributed in January 2010. Wireless Alerts automatically notify personnel of important information via SMS text or email. Delivered instantly to their iPhone, Blackberry, or other mobile device, rental professionals can be up-to-date with the status of their business even when they aren’t in the office. Event triggers may be set in Point-of-Rental™ Systems' Enterprise software to automatically alert personnel of any changes to a contract or customer. For example, sales representatives can be instantly alerted when a contract has been called off rent so they can follow up or contact another client about item availability. Or, an event coordinator can know instantly when an order is on its way to the venue.

With today's mobile workforce, handheld information has never been more crucial to successful business operations, and Point-of-Rental™ Systems' Wireless Alerts provides the rental industry with the software solutions needed to stay on the cutting edge of technology.

“This is one of those wonderful conveniences that make life easier,” writes RER’s Brandey Chewning Smith in her RentalTalk blog, “and if you’re like me you’ll take as many of those as you can get. I suspect the rental industry will benefit immensely from real-time alerts like this for a long time to come.”

November 23, 2010

Point-of-Rental™ Systems Enterprise 2010 Receives Credit Card Compliance Certification

Point-of-Rental™ Systems is pleased  to announce that its Enterprise 2010 Rental Management Software passed PA DSS certification testing with flying colors. PA DSS (Payment Application Data Security Standard) is the new requirement that software vendors must uphold as part of PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard).

Developed by PCI Security Standards Council to help protect customers from having their credit card information stolen, PCI compliance is now required of all merchants which handle payment card transactions. One of the requirements is that merchants must use software that is PA DSS certified. In addition, they must adhere to the standards found at https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/security_standards/pci_dss.shtml.

Obtaining PCI compliance is not always easy, but it is required, and Point-of-Rental is proud to partner with our customers in achieving PCI secure status.

August 24, 2010

PRO EM Becomes 1200th Point-of-Rental™ Systems Customer

A rental company is only as good as its inventory management. For that reason, PRO EM, listed as the 5th top rental company by Special Events® Magazine, recently enlisted the leader in rental management software, Point-of-Rental™ Systems, to manage its Phoenix, Tucson and Denver locations, as well as the company’s vast party, tabletop, wedding and equipment deliverables.

Both Point-of-Rental™ Systems and PRO EM had something to celebrate–the launch of Point-of-Rental at PRO EM and the fact that PRO EM became the 1,200th Point-of-Rental customer.

In addition to providing cake to celebrate the occasion, Point-of-Rental provided company-wide training and support as well as integration guidance from the old system to the new.

Point-of-Rental™ Systems was created by rental industry professionals to provide a reliable, flexible and accurate alternative to the previous industry norm of DOS-based and error-plagued systems. Their software can be configured for use in many types of rental applications including party and event, construction equipment, studio equipment and audio/visual. Learn more about Point of Rental at: http://www.point-of-rental.com.

PRO EM touches over 8 million people each year through weddings, high profile sporting and cultural events, corporate meetings and social gatherings. The company offers a complete portfolio of services from traffic control and security to custom design and graphics capabilities. Find out more at: http://www.proem.org.

PHOTO CAPTION: PRO EM personnel, pictured left to right, are Lynne Law, Inventory Manager; Tora Pasesa, VP Admin and Quality Control; and Brad Kramer, President and CEO

August 5, 2010

Rental Management Software Training Seminars Scheduled throughout Nation

Record turnout for Point-of-Rental™ Systems’ inaugural regional training seminars has prompted the company to host the rental management software presentations beginning again this fall. Scheduled in seven cities throughout the U.S. and in Canada, the seminars focus on effectively utilizing Point-of-Rental™ Systems in rental businesses, including event rental, equipment rental, lift rental, as well as specialty rentals. In addition to introducing the newest software features, seminar topics include Accounting, Crystal Report Writing, and Advanced Counter Operations. Attendees also have opportunity to mingle with other Point-of-Rental users over a catered lunch and learn how others are using their rental software. The seminar registration fee, including the catered lunch, is priced at $180 for the first person and $145 for each additional company representative. Registration is limited to 30 or 40 attendees depending on the location. Visit http://www.point-of-rental.com to register online or call 1-800-944-7368. Cities and dates of regional training are:

• Dallas, TX - September 21, 2010 - Accounting
• Dallas, TX - September 22, 2010 - Crystal Reports
• Dallas, TX - September 23, 2010 - Advanced Counter Operations
• Chicago, IL - October 13, 2010 (following the ARA Chicagoland Owners Meeting) - Advanced Counter Operations
• Newark, NJ - October 27, 2010 - Advanced Counter Operations
• Vancouver, BC - November 10, 2010 - Advanced Counter Operations
• Richland, WA - November 12, 2010 (following the Northwest Rental Conference) - Advanced Counter Operations
• Las Vegas, NV - March 3, 2011 (following the ARA Rental Show) - Advanced Counter Operations
• Orlando, FL - March 24, 2011 - Advanced Counter Operations
   

April 30, 2010

Point-of-Rental™ Systems’ Wireless Alerts

Point-of-Rental™ Systems’ new Wireless Alerts feature automatically notifies you via SMS text or e-mail whenever certain pre-selected events occur. You can set event triggers such as Opening New Contract, Calling Equipment Off Rent, Closing a Contract, or Account Status changes such as On Hold, Account Closed, Over Credit Limit, and Ageing warnings. Be in the know with Point-of-Rental™ System's Wireless Alerts.

April 5, 2010 - April Edition of InTents Magazine

Software Designed for Tent/Event Rental Industry

Looking for a rental management system that fits your tent and event focus? Tent and event rental require software with more features and interface options than tool and equipment focused software. Pictures, graphics and laser printed quotes, reservations, contracts with instruction sheets as well as graphical delivery mapping are important features to such a rental business. Point-of-Rental™ Systems puts all of this right at your fingertips with the Graphical User and Display Interface provided by the Microsoft Windows® operating systems. And now, with the latest update, Point-of-Rental’s Enterprise 2010 offers many more party smart enhancements specifically designed for tent and event rental.

Tent and event rental stores need features such as the ability to directly fax and e-mail quotes and reservations from their systems. The ability to store contracts in history is important to be able to “clone” them for yearly and sometimes monthly recurring events. The systems should be able to import inventory from PartyCad drawings and export entries daily to PC based general ledgers such as QuickBooks, Microsoft Dynamics and many others. A big plus would be an item question field which forces your counterperson to procure advance information like: “What type of surface will the tent be on? Is a permit required? Will power lines interfere with setup?” And of course, a superior and graphically pleasing website is all important to attract customers to tent and event rental stores.

For a complete rental management software program that provides all of these party smart features and more, take a look at what more and more tent and event rental stores are turning to: Point-of-Rental™ Systems. This particular software company can either host web sites or provide the XML code to import inventory, images and instruction sheets into a user hosted site complete with a shopping cart. Plus, their software is tried and true.

Point-of-Rental™ Systems has been providing rental stores with rental management software for more than 26 years. The company started in business in 1982 by first opening a general rental store renting tools, equipment and some party items. In 1984 the company introduced Point-of-Rental software, and in 1996 it opened another store much larger than the first with more of a party and event focus. In 2001 their Enterprise rental management software was introduced. It is 100% Microsoft Windows® based, designed to run on the Microsoft Sever operating system. Over 1100 stores in North America, the Caribbean and South Africa have relied upon Point-of-Rental software to manage their businesses. More information can be obtained at http://www.point-of-rental.com or by calling 1-800-944-7368.

December 11, 2009

Point-of-Rental™ Systems Announces New Website Debut

Point-of-Rental™ Systems, a major provider of Windows® based rental management software recently launched a major update to its website.  The newly redesigned site, which can be viewed at http://www.point-of-rental.com, features a more corporate look as well as streamlined navigation that helps prospective and existing customers easily find the information they need.  “We now have a website that better reflects the quality and scalability that Point-of-Rental™ Systems is recognized for throughout the various rental industries we serve,” says company President Bob Shaffer.

The site is designed to better project the various rental industries that Point-of-Rental™ Software fits including the rental of construction equipment, tents, party, audio/visual many other markets.  Customers of Point-of-Rental™ Systems will enjoy a newly designed user forum that facilitates learning and idea sharing amongst the community.

Andre Farci, webmaster and website developer for Point-of-Rental™ Systems, acknowledges that the revamped site should also draw more customers to the company’s website hosting service.  This optional feature automatically uploads a store’s inventory including pictures and pricing (optional) from their Point-of-Rental™ database into the store’s own website. Other features include a shopping cart and customer portal.  “The new look of our redesigned company website will give our prospects and existing customers a taste of the quality we can offer with Point-of-Rental™ Systems webhosting,” Farci states.  “The new Point-of-Rental™ site combined valuable feedback from our existing customers as well as from our own marketing, development and support departments.” 

The new design is expected to support Point-of-Rental™ Systems’ continued growth while existing customers benefit from the new centralized authentication system that provides them with a library of monthly tips, instructional videos and other useful documents that will only be available to Point-of-Rental™ registered users.

Grand Prairie, Texas – August 22, 2009 – Feedback from Point-of-Rental™ Systems’ first regional training seminar in Newark, NJ was so positive that the company is making the presentation available in eleven more cities throughout the nation over the next six months.

The rental software training seminars are focused on how to effectively utilize Point-of-Rental™ Systems in the rental business, including the newest features introduced in the latest software updates. Topics covered include operations, inventory management, customer management, database management, accounting, and marketing. Attendees also have the opportunity to mingle with other Point-of-Rental users over a catered lunch and learn how others are using their systems.

The seminar registration fee, including the catered lunch, is priced at $195 for the first person and $150 for each additional company representative. Registration is limited to 30 or 40 attendees depending on the location. Visit www.point-of-rental.com to register online or call Melanie at 1-800-944-7368. Cities and dates of regional training are:

• Dallas, TX on September 30, 2009
• Seattle, WA on October 13, 2009
• Minneapolis, MN on October 15, 2009
• Pittsburgh, PA on October 20, 2009
• Chicago, IL on October 22, 2009
• Philadelphia, PA on November 3, 2009
• Hartford, CT on November 5, 2009
• Atlanta, GA on November 17, 2009
• San Antonio, TX on December 9, 2009
• Dallas, TX on January 13, 2010
• Oakland, CA on February 16-17, 2010
• Irvine, CA on February 23-24, 2010

Grand Prairie, Texas – June 22, 2009 – Point-of-Rental™ Systems, the leader in Windows® Server based rental management software, announced today that it has been chosen by the True Value Company as a software provider for its franchise rental stores operating under the Grand Rental Station, Taylor Rental and Party Central banners. True Value Company, headquartered in Chicago, is one of the world’s largest retailer-owned hardware cooperatives with sales of $2.0 billion in 2008. The cooperative includes approximately 5,400 independent retailer locations and businesses worldwide operating under the store identities of True Value, Grand Rental Station, Taylor Rental, Party Central, Home & Garden Showplace, Induserve Supply and Commercial Sales. Additional information on the co-op is available at www.truevaluecompany.com.

Point-of-Rental™ Systems is a major provider of rental management software for the North American market. The company’s software has been licensed for use in over 1100 rental stores that primarily rent construction equipment, party and event items, and audio visual equipment. Point-of-Rental™ Systems’ parent company, Overland Rentals, Inc., started as an equipment rental store in 1982. The company started the Point-of-Rental™ Systems division in 1984. In 2001 the company introduced its Enterprise product which is 100% Microsoft® Windows® based. The company continues to focus solely on writing, supporting and marketing rental management software.

Michelle Henebry Finnigan, Director of True Value’s Rental & MRO Businesses, said, “After reviewing Windows® based rental management solutions, we are pleased to be able to approve the Point-of-Rental™ Systems Enterprise product. Point-of-Rental™ Systems has a long history of exemplary performance in providing software and support to companies like our members that rent construction & industrial equipment, general tools and party and event items.”

Bob Shaffer, President of Overland Rentals, Inc., stated, “Point-of-Rental™ Systems is excited about our new relationship with True Value members. Our Enterprise product fits their operations like a glove. Many members still have character based legacy systems that they installed prior to 2000. I am confident they will enjoy moving into a 21st century GUI product that offers many features previously unavailable such as driver license imaging and the ability to directly e-mail quotes, contracts and statements. We look forward to servicing their needs.”

Point-of-Rental™ Systems will host a Northeast Regional Training Seminar at the Sheraton Mahwah Hotel in Mahwah, New Jersey, April 28-29. On Tuesday, April 28, the seminar will focus on equipment rental, while Wednesday’s seminar on April 29 is designed for party and event rental.

Presented by Point-of-Rental’s Director of Training, David Jensen, each seminar will provide advanced instruction to help clients utilize the software’s wide range of features. Topics covered include operations, inventory management, customer management, database management, accounting and marketing. Seminars are 9a.m. to 5p.m. each day. Lunch is included. Cost is $150 for the first person, and $115 for each additional person from the same company. Register through April 14th at www.point-of-rental.com or 1(800)944-7368.

Every January, rental stores subscribing to Point-of-Rental™ Systems’ software support receive what may as well be a belated Christmas gift. That’s because the highly anticipated annual update to

Point-of-Rental™ Systems’ Windows®-based Enterprise software arrives in the mail. Since 1984, the company has consistently provided yearly enhancements to the rental management systems they provide, and this revision, like most sent out in recent years, is packed with literally hundreds of features<. Samplings of the features included in Enterprise 12.0 are:

• Customer Relation Management (CRM) tools
• Ability to automatically Fax/Email reports
• New analysis reports, such as Fleet Utilization and Reservations vs. Revenue Trend Analysis
• Party CAD integration
• California Air Resource Board requirements reporting
• Weight management of trucks on delivery/pickup routes
• Ability to export routes to handheld GPS units
• Option to include invoice printout with statement
• Unlimited number of customized email letters
• Time clock import to QuickBooks, PayChex, and ADP
• Customer Portal

So how does Point-of-Rental™ Systems come up with new ideas for their yearly updates? “The majority of all our update ideas come from our users,” says Wayne Harris, Chief Technology Officer at Point-of-Rental™ Systems. “We receive update requests or ideas from our users through emails, phone calls, the Point-of-Rental user forum, and also from potential customers when we demo to them.”

The yearly updates prove the company is not only listening to their user base, but they are quick to implement the suggestions as well. “If someone comes up with an idea of an enhancement in November, they will probably see it in an update when January rolls around,” says Harris. “It’s important to note that our updates aren’t patches or program fixes,” he adds. “We provide genuinely useful features which immediately enhance the efficiency and profitability of companies.”

January 21, 2009

Point-of-Rental™ Systems Announces New Release of their Customer Portal Interface

Point-of-Rental™ Systems, a major provider of rental management systems for the equipment rental and party rental industries, announces the next generation of their Customer Portal.

The Point-of-Rental™ Systems Customer Portal allows account customers to have instant access to their online statements/invoices as well as to review or print their contracts. In addition to a newly redesigned skin and enhanced summary page showing the current balance and aging report, the portal now allows customers to view details and track items that have been rented out as well as to “call off” rent on individual items.

Other helpful information such as PO #, Job # and Job site are also shown for each contract. “With each of its major software releases, Point-of-Rental™ Systems prides itself for providing new features to its customers,” writes Wayne Harris, Chief Technology Officer at their headquarters in Grand Prairie, TX. “With the launch of our new Customer Portal Interface, rental stores will be able to offer additional online accounting and rental management services that will save both them and their customers time and money.”

Point-of-Rental™ is the leading rental management software in its class and in use in more than 1100 stores. For more information on Point-of-Rental™ Systems and the Customer Portal features, visit www.point-of-rental.com or call toll-free at 1-800-944-7368.

January 5, 2009

Point-of-Rental™  wins RER Innovative Product Award

The 2008 RER Innovative Product Award for the Computer Software category was awarded to Point-of-Rental™ Systems for the Dispatch Center Module option. The RER Innovative Product Awards were established in 2003 to honor excellence in new product development in the rental industry. The Point-of-Rental Dispatch Module was selected by a panel of industry experts for its innovative ability to efficiently route delivery vehicles.

Point-of-Rental™ Systems, a major provider of rental management systems, successfully completed the installation of its rental management software at Northwood Rentals in Hyde Park, Utah. Northwood Rentals was the 1000th store to install the company’s software.

Started in 1999, Northwood Rentals is a large general rental store. Their inventory ranges from full size backhoes to party items and costumes. Point-of-Rental™ Systems, a division of Overland Rentals, Inc., started in 1982 as a general rental store. In 1984 the company introduced its rental management software at the ARA show in Dallas, TX. In 1996 the company opened a second rental store. In 2001 the company introduced its flagship Enterprise software product that runs on the Microsoft® Windows Server operating system using Microsoft® database products. Systems have been installed in 46 states, Canada, the Caribbean and South Africa. More information can be found at www.point-of-rental.com.

Feature Article - Rental Management Magazine,
October 2005

Click on the image to the right to read our feature article published in Rental Management magazine.

Read about our beginnings as a startup equipment rental store in 1982 and from the startup of our Point-of-Rental™ Systems division in 1984 to the introduction of our Windows® based Enterprise product in 2001.