In the classic Eugene O'Neil drama, it was the iceman who filled the ice box that kept food and drinks cool and refreshing. Today, for many people of a younger generation, the welcome sound of the doorbell signals pizza delivery. Now, thanks to the Rogers AT&T Wireless AirPOSTM service, Canadians no longer need cash, but just a debit card to pay for pizzas delivered to their homes.

The pizzaman cometh

Marketed under the co-brand Rogers AT&T Wireless, AirPOS is a new wireless POS service for retailers and other business operations where fast, efficient and convenient payment is key to maximizing profitability. The new service, which was developed by Rogers AT&T Wireless in Canada, is adaptable to virtually any retail operation and has been approved by Canada's leading financial institutions.

The Royal Bank of Canada, which has the country's largest merchant base, was the first to certify the AirPOS service for debit and credit card transactions. More recently, the Bank of Nova Scotia also approved the service for its merchant customers. Negotiations are also nearing completion with an additional two commercial banks in Canada.

"The Royal Bank is committed to the timely delivery and support of efficient and convenient electronic debit and credit payment solutions to all business segments," says Frank Moore, vice president for merchant services and point-of-sale at the Royal Bank. "This wireless service provides the opportunity for us to enhance our service both to the commercial and personal banking customer."

Enormous growth expected

The first device to be approved for use on the AirPOS services is the Air Quatro wireless POS terminal manufactured by IVI Checkmate, Canada's leading producer of point-of-sale terminals. Approval of IVI's Air Quatro for use on the Canadian Mobitex network paves the way for a series of portable, long-range wireless terminals from IVI. The new terminals will be deployed in a number of currently untapped electronic payment markets, including taxis, limousines, home and office delivery and stadium concessionaires.

"Rogers AT&T Wireless is a leader in the wireless industry and continues to advance the technology of wireless communication," states L. Barry Thomson, president and CEO of IVI Checkmate. "We are pleased to take advantage of Rogers AT&T Wireless's expertise to explore new business opportunities that will allow IVI to develop the high-quality products that customers demand from us and for which IVI is renowned."

"The market for wireless POS is poised for enormous growth," says Charles Hoffman, president and CEO of Rogers AT&T Wireless. "Rogers AT&T Wireless is pleased to work with Canada's largest POS company to provide the first national wireless POS service in Canada. Together, IVI and Rogers AT&T Wireless will carry some of the two billion electronic transactions that occur in Canada each year."

Profitable for customers

Rogers AT&T Wireless has had a clear vision to create a service that adds value to the network and which will increase profitability not only for IVI and other business partners, but for the banks and their customers, as well. Recently, the Canadian Mobitex operator also announced a substantial network build-out that will help the banks and their merchant banking customers to launch the AirPOS service nationwide.

The coming months will be exciting times for Rogers AT&T Wireless as more and more merchants come on line. In the meantime, one of the most gratifying initial successes was the decision by a Toronto-based chain of pizza restaurants to use the AirPOS service in its home delivery operations. Now, as Rogers AT&T Wireless engineers and marketing representatives work overtime serving their many new customers, they can at least send out for pizza with a clear conscience.