A Point-of-Sale (POS) system is a key component for retail and many service businesses. With modern POS systems acting as a hub for multiple business components, including not just payments but also inventory, sales, and marketing, choosing the right solution is more important than ever.

For any retail and many service operations, a point-of-sale (POS) hardware and software solution can be critical to business operations, so choosing one cannot be taken lightly. Fortunately, this class of product is fairly easily categorized. There are proven vertical solutions, for example, Lightspeed POS that specializes in solutions for restaurants or retail stores. There are also more disruptive solutions like Square POS, which offers smaller businesses and mobile entrepreneurs a wide range of payments functionality using popular devices like smartphones and tablets.

Staying current with these trends means POS solution providers aren't just modern in their customers' eyes, but also highly flexible with the ability to adapt to many solution scenarios, including those previously dominated by vertical offerings. Looking to capitalize on this new trend, some mobile technology companies, like Samsung, are building POS functionality into their smartphone hardware to attract front-line workers and businesses that need a versatile mobile solutions.