2016 fall newsletter

To The
Point
Insight for the Rental Professional
Expanding Innovation
Point of Rental Acquires Syrinx by Higher Concept
New Branch in Reading, UK
Fall
2016
Published by
The Moment You’ve Been Waiting for:
What’s new in v2016
+
Durante Rentals Goes Live on Rental Elite
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2016:
Why You Need To Attend

1
wayne’s letter
As the glass fell, its impending doom all but
assured on the granite counter below, my super
human ability kicked in and I snatched it out of
mid air saving me from a scolding along with
a bunch of clean up. Now the “glass is half
empty” crowd might be thinking, “If you weren’t
so clumsy, you wouldn’t need a super human
ability.” On the other hand, the “glass is half full”
crowd would be quite impressed with the speed
and agility I exhibited to save the doomed glass.
The event got me thinking about how I am able
to perform such an incredible feat. It probably
has a lot to do with my training when I played
outfield when I was younger. The outfield is a
big area. On average, the ball doesn’t just come
to you; you have to go where it is going. Many
times the difference between a hit and an out
is just one step. If you can get to where the
ball is going one step faster, then you have a
much better opportunity to make an out. In my
very humble opinion, I had an excellent knack
for getting a jump on the ball. It had to do with
the swing of the bat. You could tell whether it
was going to the left or the right side based on
whether the batter starting swinging early or
late. The sound of the ball coming off the bat
could clue you into whether it was a long hit
or a shallow one. I would take in all of these
variables and start in the direction of the ball
allowing me an extra step to make the catch.
The key is that I wouldn’t run to where the
ball was currently. If I did, I would have been
standing at home plate while the ball was lying
in the outfield. In the same way, if I had tried to
follow the glass out of the cabinet and catch up
to it, I probably would have slammed the glass
against the counter, but instead, I positioned
myself to be where it was going so that it fell
into my hand.
In business, many times we run to where we
see the opportunities are right now; however,
upcoming training & events
September 6
Executive Hire Show
Scotland, UK
September 21
Hire Convention
Loughborough, UK
October 7
Do It Best Market
Indianapolis, IN
October 10-12
Point of Rental’s IC
Dallas, TX
October 11
ALH Conference
Miami, FL
October 16-18
Northwest Rental Conf.
Missoula, MT
October 19
Showman’s Show
Thatcham, UK
October 23
LDI
Las Vegas, NV
by the time we get there, business has moved on.
We need to anticipate where the opportunities
are going to be at the point we are ready for it.
The oil business is a great example. I don’t think
anyone anticipated a 78% drop in oil prices;
however, historically, oil has been a boom and
bust business. While we want to derive revenue
from the current trend, we also need to be looking
at where the business is heading in the future.
So when oil goes bust, we are situated perfectly
to handle the next big trend. If we spend our time
chasing after the current fad, we usually don’t
catch up in time.
One way that we can be on the lookout for the
next trend is by analyzing the Missed Rentals
Report. Many times, the requests can reveal
some very valuable information. For one thing, if
a customer is contacting you, then you already
know that there is at least one person in the
market for the product. Secondly, you may see
areas that you are not serving because you lack
the inventory and can help identify additional
markets to invest in. Lastly and perhaps most
importantly, the requests could show areas that
need inventory that you currently own but have
never thought about using it that way. The latter
is an amazing way to increase revenue without
increasing cost. Also, those niche areas are often
under served and the lack
of competition allows for a
higher profit margin.
Wayne Harris
CEO of Point of Rental Software
November 6
STAFDA Tech Fair
Atlanta, GA
November 8
MATRA: The Tent Show
Long Island, NY
November 9
CPA Conference
Bedfordshire, UK
So the next time you see
an industry shift or a glass
fall, think about how you
can be out in front of the
impending disaster and
turn it into an incredible
opportunity.
November 13-15
ARA of NY
Yonkers, NY
Turning stone, NY
Batavia Downs, NY
Stay up-to-date with the latest Point of Rental information. Follow us on social media!
features
02
Introducing Customer Rewards
How are you retaining customers? This new
feature allows you to reward customers for
every dollar thit ey spend with you, helping
you build customer loyalty and keep them
coming back!
03
Mobile WorkForce 2016
Completely revamped with a new look and
specifically compatible to each device, Mobile
WorkForce delivers streamlined mobility.
04
Customer Service Tips
Did you know that Point of Rental offers
tons of tips on how to use your Expert
system smarter and faster? Check out a
couple of our most used shortcut buttons.
05
What’s New in v2016
Drum roll please... Introducing the latest and
greatest of Rental Expert!
08
Durante Rentals Installs Point of Rental Elite
Growing at an incredible rate, Durante Rentals
needed software to handle their growth and
provide customizable options.
09
Point of Rental Acquires Syrinx by Higher
Concept
Now serving out of branches in three
countries, we are working hard to provide the
best customer service and expand innovation
around the globe.
12
Introducing the Industry’s First Kiosk
Functionality
We are excited to announce that Rental
Essentials now comes equipped with a Kiosk
feature to provide customer self-help.
13
The 2016 International Conference is Almost
Here!
The classes are set, the night events are
planned, and the space is limited! Sign up for
our 2016 International Conference before it’s
too late!
contact
Phone: 800-944-RENT
Email: info@PointofRental.com
POINTOFRENTAL.COM / FALL 2016

INTRODUCING
CUSTOMER REWARDS
From walking the extra block past
the nearest coffee shop to grab
your morning cup from Starbucks
to booking an earlier flight with
Southwest Airlines, our actions
are heavily influenced by reward
programs.
On average, 80% of a company’s
business is derived from only 20%
of their customer base. In order to
be successful, it is essential for a
company to retain customers and
build customer loyalty. According
to a new study conducted by the
American Rental Association, one
of the top five things customers
want is to be rewarded for renting
from you.
Well we’re listening! We have
created the first automated
Customer Rewards program for
the rental industry to encourage
lifelong customers and build your
brand loyalty. With this feature,
you can define the percentage
of each type of income that you
want to reward the customer with.
For example, you might want to
give 1% rewards on rental, 0.5%
rewards on sales, and nothing for
asset sales. When a customer
rents from you, the rewards will
automatically accrue in their
account based on the parameters
you defined. These rewards can
then be used on future rentals.
You also define the expiration date
on rewards. For example, you can
set them to expire after 6 months;
thus encouraging your customers
to come back within 6 months to
get the benefit. The accruing of
the rewards and the expiring of
unused rewards are automatically
handled by the system. If the
customer has any rewards
available, the counter person will
be given the option of applying the
rewards to the current contract.
For a limited time, this new module
is free to current customers!
Email sales@pointofrental.com
for additional details and to have
the module enabled.
POINTOFRENTAL.COM / FALL 2016 2

MOBILE
WORK
FORCE
2016
“
In just the first few weeks, Mobile WorkForce has helped to prove when and where the driver dropped off
equipment and saved time back at the office because drivers don’t need to call in before heading to the
next delivery. Our customers are certainly impressed at how technologically savvy we are. We enjoy being
on the cutting edge!
”
–Scott Musterman
First Place Rentals
Coming This Fall:
Our newest Mobile WorkForce update,
to be released this fall, is bringing a
variety of new features and a whole
new look and feel to enhance usability
across multiple devices.
Mobile WorkForce, available for Rental
Expert and Rental Elite users, is a webbased
application that can be utilized
with any Internet-enabled mobile
device, tablet, or laptop. Taking full
advantage of the touchscreen user
interface of mobile devices, this app
reduces time-consuming steps down
to a few simple clicks. This app allows
the mobile worker to eliminate the
paper equation by performing tasks onsite
without having to be granted full
access to the company server.
Many rental employees’ job functions
are performed away from the counter
terminal, yet still generate data that
must be entered into your system,
such as signatures, date/time stamps,
location addresses, inventory counts,
and much more. The module capitalizes
on workers’ mobility by obtaining this
data remotely and automatically syncing
it securely to your Point-of-Rental server.
Service personnel in the field can access
the service contract from the job site and
scan the barcode on the unit to mark the
service completed. The task is reflected
in real-time to the contract on your Point
of Rental server, automatically noting
the latitude-longitude location, as well as
the date/time stamp. Similarly, a driver
delivering a high-reach lift to a job site
can open the contract on location, take
photos of the item, mark it as delivered,
and have the customer sign for it right
on the device. The photos are saved as a
contract attachment and can be viewed/
printed/faxed from the server.
The newest updates include result
filters on search, displayed inventory
availability, dispatcher’s routes,
international date formats, partial search
capabilities, “Loading” and “Transport”
options to provide depth to the contract
fulfillment process and many others!
Email sales@pointofrental.com for more
information.
3
POINTOFRENTAL.COM / FALL 2016

Did you know?
In this age of instant everything, we want shortcuts and we want them now! After
all, who doesn’t want to work faster? Well, did you know that Point of Rental offers
tons of tips on how to use your Expert system smarter and faster? Under Point of
Rental Expert’s Program Menu, go to Help in the top left-hand corner to access a full
library of Did You Knows. But for the sake of speed, here are some quick tips about
shortcuts listed below.
Quick Print or Pay
If you know the customer, you can go to the Customer Dashboard to see a listing of their
contracts. From there you can right-click on a contract in the list and select to print or pay
the contract directly.
Quick Price Editing
After accessing File Maintenance > Item File, you will see the Inventory Selection Window,
where you can right-click on any item in the grid and chose to Edit Rates. This will popopen
a quick rate entry screen, including special & daily pricing.
Counter System Quick Access
Press the Space Bar from the enter ID screen to open item availability or press the Tab Key
from the enter ID screen to open Day at a Glance.
Quick Store Transfers
When an item is overbooked, you can right click on the item in Contract Processing and
you will have an option for Create Transfer. Once clicked, you will be asked what store
you want to transfer from. It will then automatically create a transfer ticket from that
store to your store. The dates of the transfer will be one day before and one day after
the overbooked contract. If you have a Transaction Operation of “Pending Approval”, the
newly created transfer will have that operation automatically set. In addition, it will mark
the transfer ticket in the Contract Link field for the contract and the regular contract will be
in the Contract Link field of the transfer contract. When you Send Out the transfer ticket,
you will be asked if you want to return these items back to your store. If you answer Yes, a
return transfer ticket will be created for the day after the contract end date. These features
require that your transfer customers have a key of XFER-xx where xx is your store number
you are transferring to.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Tab moves from one data field to the next
SHIFT + Tab moves you in reverse through data fields
Esc or / takes you out of data entry and asks if you want to save changes
Alt + underlined letter will activate that option button
Alt + Tab will let you move between programs running on tool bar
Ctrl + A will select all text in the active window or field
Ctrl + X will cut and copy an object or text
Ctrl + C will copy an object or text
Ctrl + V will paste an object or text that was copied
Ctrl + Print Screen will capture your entire screen in an image (paste into a document to
see)
Alt + Print Screen will capture the active window on your screen in an image (paste into a
document to see)
POINTOFRENTAL.COM / FALL 2016 4

Constantly innovating for your success.
Announcing
Rental Expert v2016
We know, you’ve heard it a million times, but here at Point of Rental, we are constantly innovating for your success
–which is why we are so excited to release what we’ve been working on for you! We are happy to announce the
release of the 2016 version of Point of Rental, chock full of many updates to make your life easier. Thank you for all
of your valuable suggestions and feedback that has helped us make this version even better. You can find a full list
of the new updates in NetHelp, but here are some of our favorites!
5
Contract Fulfillment Update
There are several updates to Contract Fulfillment to make
your day easier. First, you now have the ability to over-prep
for an order by including extras such as bags for linens.
This will keep track of the actual quantity you send out and
make sure you get it back. In addition, two menu options
have been added to the Right Click of the Fulfillment tab:
Sell Missing/Damaged Items and Sell All Missing Items.
These will do an asset sale of the quantity that was missing
on the contract. Contract Fulfillment now allows you to
use RFID directly to scan items in or out. Utilizing an RFID
scanner to read large quantities of items, such as a pile of
RFID tagged linens, an employee simply waves the wand
over the pile to automatically return items. In addition,
Contract Fulfillment has two new scan methods to help
you return everything on the appropriate contract. If a
customer brings in multiple items, the employee can use
the blind scan mode by simply hovering the RFID wand
over the items and Contract Fulfillment will automatically
return them to the correct contract. A double blind scan
mode is also available for when multiple items are returned
at one time. When items are scanned in this mode,
Contract Fulfillment automatically pulls up the correct
customer orders and returns the items to the corresponding
contracts. Finally, Close All Fulfilled Items will look at all
of the items that have been returned from Fulfillment and
close them, making sure everything has been counted.
Self Service
There is now a self-service option for employees, which
will allow them to make changes to their own account
information instead of having to rely on workers in the
back office to do this for them. A new option for Operator
Information now allows an employee to set their own email,
cell phone, and desired contact method. In addition, they
will be able to change their own password and even reset
their password if need be. Now that one forgetful employee
(and we know there’s always one) won’t have to bother the
back office every day when he needs to log-in.
POINTOFRENTAL.COM / FALL 2016

Salesman Dashboard
Our new Salesman Dashboard makes it easy to see
all of the different contracts for every rep! It can be
used by the salesman himself to look at all of the
sales he currently has pending and can sort by quotes,
reservations, open, or closed. A manager can also look
to compare one salesman with another or break down
their numbers any which way they want! It even has a
handy graph feature that will display the result in an
easy-to-understand pie chart.
Job Site/Venue Dashboard
Here is a great tool for analyzing various job sites or
venues! The Job Site Dashboard has all of the same
functions as the Salesman Dashboard but it can also
show you a single job site or all of them together. This
makes it easy to see where your best venues are and
which ones need help. You can also break down the
revenue by month or day for each job site.
Transaction Dashboard
You might have noticed a trend here, but with our new
Transaction Dashboard, you’ll be able to see all kinds
of trends with your transactions. It has all the same
functions as the Job Site Dashboard but is based on
All Transactions. On this dashboard, you can group
or subgroup by a number of different fields such as
Operator Assigned, PO Number, Job Number, Sales Rep
by Transaction, Customer, or Job Site, or a whole range
of other options. This will let you easily group your
transactions to figure out what’s working for you and
what you need to work on to rake in those orders.
Purchase Order Dashboard
We’ve now streamlined the processing of POs by having
it all on one screen. Based on Day at Glance, you can
look at tabs for Open, Pending, Credit, Closed, Posted,
and Sub Rental which can all by grouped by a number
of different means. And just like Day at a Glance, you
can right click on any of these and modify, print, receive,
void, etc.
Grouping on Day at a Glance
Day at a Glance is getting an upgrade as well to include
grouping! You can now group any tab by Status, Sales
Rep, Operation, Customer, Job Number, City, Substatus,
Zip, and others. In addition, the tabs on this page are
now able to be reordered as you choose.
Grouping on Customer Dashboard
Groupings have also been added to your Customer
Dashboard. This will allow you to group by a number of
different fields to see the number of contracts for each
demographic you’re grouping by. This should provide
you with lots of good analysis for planning marketing
strategies.
Operator Assigned
We’ve made it a lot easier to set your Operator
Assigned! Now you can do it by right clicking on a
contract in Day at a Glance. You can also turn on a
column for Operator Assigned in Day at a Glance so
that you can group by this field. There are also now
notifications you can set up for your Operator in
different situations.
Winner of the
Best Rental Management Software Award
at InfoComm 2016: RENTAL EXPERT
The award-winning product from Point of Rental Software is
Contract Fulfillment, which makes filling contracts more accurate
and efficient by utilizing mobile devices to prepare and complete
orders. Designed to replace load slips and prep reports, the
feature combines real-time rental contract processing with the
flexibility of mobile tablets to keep information current between
all departments as items are readied to rent or return. Integrated
with RFID technology, it also provides precise counts and instant
validation of rental contracts and item returns without needing
the customer name or contract!
Point of Rental CEO, Wayne Harris said, “We are constantly
innovating to make our customers more successful, and we are
honored to receive this software award in recognition of that. We
believe this feature will make our customers’ rental operations
run more smoothly, help them provide better customer service,
and ultimately improve their bottom-line.”
POINTOFRENTAL.COM / FALL 2016 6

7
POINTOFRENTAL.COM / FALL 2016

DURANTE RENTALS INSTALLS
Point of Rental Elite
Well known as the New York tri-state area’s
powerhouse in the construction equipment
rental industry, Durante Rentals is quickly
expanding their operations and the industry is taking
notice. Founded in 2009 by cousins John Durante and
Anthony Durante, along with business partner Chris
Jones, the company has seen astounding success in
just seven years.
The rise of this start-up in the midst of one of the worst
economic times the area has ever seen, coupled with
its incredible growth, has sparked interest all over the
country. From 2013-2015, Durante posted an impressive
three-years sales growth of 228% and as a result, the
New York-based company has been named one of Inc.
5000’s Fastest Growing Private Companies for the past
three consecutive years. After having opened three
additional locations within the past 8 months, Durante
Rentals is expected to rank even higher this year. This
growth has people across the board asking just what is
this driving force behind Durante Rentals’ overwhelming
success.
“We always put our customers first,” Durante Rentals’
President, John Durante, said. “We strive to streamline
our processes, provide innovative solutions and look to
push the limits of the industry’s technology. To keep up
with our rapid growth, we’ve found it essential to invest
in our internal processes and constantly search for new
areas we can improve upon. Point of Rental is a company
that shares these values, leads the industry with intuitive
software, and offers customized programming to fit our
unique needs – which is why we chose to partner with
them.”
“We are honored to partner with Durante Rentals,” Point
of Rental’s CEO, Wayne Harris said. “They have valuable
insight into the rental industry and are adding many
new methods of doing business, while also upholding
an amazing level of integrity and personalized customer
service. With our customized Rental Elite platform,
we are eager to help them develop new features and
provide innovative solutions to support their tremendous
growth.”
Having gone live on Point of Rental Elite in mid-July,
Durante Rentals is excited for the opportunity to use
a system that is robust enough to handle their growth
while also providing customizable options, allowing
them to run the business in a unique way.
“After years of research into different systems, we are
confident in our choice of Point of Rental,” Durante
Rentals’ CEO, Anthony Durante, said. “We really wanted a
system that worked with the natural flow of our business
and also allowed us the flexibility of customized features
to support our further development. We have been very
pleased with their whole team and we truly believe this
system will allow us to go to the next level.”
POINTOFRENTAL.COM / FALL 2016 8

Point of Rental Acquires Syrinx by Higher Concept
New Branch in the UK
At Point of Rental, we strive to bring you the best
software tools to make your business more
successful and your life easier. And now, with
the acquisition of Syrinx Software, our innovation is
expanding. The combined knowledge of two teams that
develop and support award-winning software creates
a stronger force to bring you the best features and the
best service.
On July 5, 2016, Point of Rental announced the
acquisition of UK-based Syrinx by Higher Concept
Software. The merger brings together two industry
leaders, with both companies recognized in our
respective markets for producing award-winning rental
and inventory management software. Point of Rental
Software is used in over 2700 customer locations in
more than 33 countries, but with the addition of Syrinx’s
2000 customers in more than 10 countries, this merger
makes us one of the largest rental software providers in
the world.
“Our two companies are known for award-winning
innovation and unparalleled customer service and as
we move forward as one, we intend to keep it that way,”
said Wayne Harris, Point of Rental President and CEO.
“Together we will continue to deliver the blend of great
software and authentic care for which we are known.”
Point of Rental is infused with a spirit of innovation that
goes back to our very roots. Today you see it not only
in our technology, but also in our culture and the way
our team members go above and beyond to care for
our customers. Those values are mirrored in the Syrinx
team and ultimately will make us better together.
An Innovative Spirit
The story of Point of Rental’s beginnings has circulated
now for over 33 years, so you’ve likely heard the story
of how three NASA engineers-turned-entrepreneurs
opened a homeowner rental store but couldn’t find
adequate software. So in 1983, they created Point of
Rental Software, designed to flow intuitively with the
way rental really works.
Over time, Point of Rental’s reputation was established
as fast, dependable software that businesses could
count on. To keep up with the rapid pace of technology,
in 1993 the entrepreneurs brought in fresh talent,
hailing from a Point of Rental customer. Having grown
up working in his parents’ rental store, Wayne Harris,
was well-acquainted with the inner workings of the
software and the rental industry, so with a computer
programming degree in hand, he was hired as the
fourth employee of Point of Rental. In 2011, after nearly
two decades of developing Point of Rental’s awardwinning
software and overseeing a number of industry
innovations, Wayne became president and CEO of the
company.
That strategy of hiring rental industry professionals has
been a key reason Point of Rental is known not only
for developing intuitive rental software, but also for
providing excellent customer service. Today our team of
rental experts consists of nearly 100 employees.
Over the past three decades, Point of Rental Software
has consistently led the way in the industry with the
implementation of cutting-edge technology, including
cloud-based software, RFID integration, and kiosk
functionality just to name a few. The company now
offers a suite of rental and inventory management
solutions from web-based products to customized ERP
software designed for rental companies of all sizes and
industries.
With that kind of history, you would think Point of Rental
has the corner on the market for industry insight and
experience. But Syrinx’s story is remarkably similar!
9
POINTOFRENTAL.COM / FALL 2016

Who is Syrinx?
Syrinx Software began as a favor for a relative. Bill
Kukstas, the original developer of the software, had
a brother-in-law in the equipment rental business in
the UK. When no suitable rental (or hire as they call
it everywhere else in the world) software adaptable
to the UK market could be found for his business, Bill
created a program which went on to become Syrinx
Software. From there, Bill and his wife Katy formed
Higher Concept Software Company in 1998 and began
marketing and selling the software to other businesses
in the UK.
Since then, they added on sales and support team
members who had previously worked in the rental
industry. Sound familiar? That has been key in growing
the company’s client base and delivering excellent
customer service. With offices located in Reading,
England, which is known as UK’s Silicon Valley, the
Syrinx team consists of nearly 30 staff members
who are all staying on under Managing Director Mark
Goodrum.
The company won the Hire Industry Supplier of the
Year Award in 2014 and is consistently recognized as
the leading software provider in the UK rental industry.
When Bill and Katy made the decision to sell the
company, their broker reached out to Point of Rental.
Bill recounts that the decision came down to four
companies who had placed offers to buy the business.
“Out of these,” Bill said, “we chose Point of Rental
for two main reasons. Firstly, after looking into the
company it seemed to us that they had a similar
business ethos to ourselves, with a strong focus on
customer service and care. Secondly, they are intimately
familiar with developing products for, and selling to, the
rental industry. They are coming in with their eyes wide
open.”
Committed to Our
Customers
The addition of Syrinx appears to be a perfect fit, and
we truly believe that we will be better together. With
our eyes wide open, we continue to see uncanny
similarities between our companies, even down to the
color green! But the most important factor is our shared
commitment to providing our customers the best
software and support that the industry has to offer.
The merger brings Point of Rental’s cloud-based
software and ERP solution to the European market
alongside Syrinx; and to the rental industry worldwide,
new apps and features will be shared across platforms
in the future. Our forward-thinking development teams
are busily anticipating ways to combine the best of
each product to bring you even better software tools.
With our team of rental experts now serving you from
offices in the United States, Australia, and the United
Kingdom, the sun never sets on Point of Rental support.
We are here for you, constantly looking for ways to
improve your business and make your life easier. That is
why we are constantly innovating for your success!
POINTOFRENTAL.COM / FALL 2016 10

Information Technology:
BEWARE OF
RANSOMWARE
by Daniel Ruiz, Point of Rental’s Support IT Liaison
It has been a busy season in ransomware and information technology security levels. Many companies have already been targeted,
and unfortunately affected. As we’ve all read on CNN Money and other news sources, Ransomware is a malicious code or a computer
virus that denies users access to their own data, encrypting it and holding it until the user pays a ransom. Users can choose between
restoring a backup of their ransomed data, trying to decrypt it, losing the data or paying the ransom. In this article, Daniel Ruiz, Point
of Rental Software’s Customer Support IT Liaison, covers why we should care and how to take preventative measures.
Symptoms of Infection
It is rather easy to determine if you are a victim of ransomware.
The symptoms can vary. You may not be able to open files or
use programs like normal. You may get pop-ups with errors indicating
corrupt files or unrecognized file extensions. You will
see a pop-up of some sort with detailed instructions on how to
decrypt your files by paying for it. The method of payment will
most likely require Bitcoin (BTC).
How Did This Happen?
Ransomware is introduced via three common vectors – email,
drive-by-downloads and users downloading free software. Everyone
can probably see how email can be a vehicle for ransomware.
If you are like the rest of us, you may receive email
spam and even have spam filters that don’t always zap the bad
stuff. The key is not clicking any links or opening any files in
emails sent by users you don’t know. Drive-by-downloads happen
when visiting compromised websites or using outdated/
unpatched web browsers. Downloading free software is risky
business especially if you don’t know the publisher. Many
times users download free software tools that actually work
but don’t realize the bad guys added the ransomware inside it
until it’s too late.
I’m Hit, Now What?
It’s never a good thing when someone is a victim of ransomware.
If you find yourself on the wrong side of the tracks, you
should immediately disconnect the infected computer from the
network. That is, unplugging its Ethernet cable and disconnecting
from any wireless networks. Ransomware is a virus and often
times malicious human beings with vast coding experience
created it, so expect it can propagate your network to infect
other computers, files and folders. Next, you will want to determine
the damage. What are the encrypted files? How critical are
they? How quickly do you need them recovered? Then you want
to know which strain of ransomware you have. There could be
a decrypt tool available. Your next action depends on scope of
infection and include restoring backed up data, attempting to
decrypt the files, lose the data or pay the ransom. Part of me
wants to never pay the ransom but it is an option and as weird
as trusting a criminal may sound, ransomware is a lucrative
crime and variants of the CryptoLocker ransomware have been
known to make millions from paid ransoms and have actually
decrypted the files when paid. A criminal with integrity, now
that’s an oxymoron if I ever heard one.
Preventive Measures
It’s important to understand that ransomware is introduced by
users. Software is no longer a safety net to catch all intrusions,
at least not anymore. Good security awareness can go a long
way. Not opening emails from unknown senders, keeping your
antivirus and other software patched and taking caution when
downloading files and programs can go a long way in keeping
your files safe and secure.
Backups
Backups are only critical when you need them, and you need
them when you need them. Checking backups and maintaining
them can be drag, but you have to ask yourself “what happens
if I can never recover my most critical data?” and “how long
would it take me to recover?” Having a reliable daily backup
routine and a recovery plan is a requirement for critical data
and businesses should implement one if they haven’t already.
11
POINTOFRENTAL.COM / FALL 2016

The Industry’s First
Kiosk Functionality
P
oint of Rental is excited to be
the first rental and inventory
management software to
introduce kiosk functionality! Available
in Point of Rental Essentials cloudbased
software, rental stores around the
world, including event and tool rental
businesses as well as specialty rental
stores, are subscribing to the software
for its kiosk feature. Designed to
enhance the customer experience, the
kiosk facilitates the rental process by
allowing customers to self-serve.
When utilized with a barcode reader, a
customer can scan a driver’s license
to populate the customer record
instantaneously. The system helps
avoid duplicate customers by matching
provided information as the customer
pulls up or sets up their account.
Spokes Bicycle Rentals of Vancouver,
British Columbia, was the first store to
implement the kiosk functionality at
its Stanley Park store. Well-known as
Vancouver’s favorite bike rental shop,
Spokes is a family run business that
has served tourists and locals for over
75 years. With a prime location at the
entrance to Vancouver’s world famous
seawall, the rental store serves large
numbers of customers during peak
tourist season yet still manages to get
cyclists on the trails in record time.
Spokes’ owner Brian Vetter has instilled
a customer-first culture that resonates
throughout the company. Recognizing
that tourists on vacation don’t want
to wait in a line, Vetter has instituted
the goal of never making a customer
wait. Our new kiosk is designed to
complement this company policy,
while the software as a whole provides
necessary information to better manage
inventory.
Tim Quarles, Spokes’ manager who
oversaw the software implementation,
explained that inventory management is
the primary reason the company chose
Point of Rental.
“Not only is it necessary to know when
a bike goes missing, it’s also important
for us to better serve our customers,”
Quarles said.
Evan Fort, our Vice President of Cloud
Products, and our team of developers
utilize agile programming for Point of
Rental Essentials, meaning that new
features are added to the web-based
software in “sprints” and updates are
released every few weeks. This has
served the company well, with the
software winning top ten placement
in the Cloud Innovation World Cup last
year, an award sponsored in part by
Google. It is also good news for rental
stores, as they reap the benefit of new
features like Kiosk, Quick Return, and
many other enhancements becoming
available in rapid succession.
The development team has exciting
enhancements planned for the kiosk
feature in upcoming sprints.
“We like to think of it as Christmas
for our customers,” Fort said. “Every
few weeks we surprise them with new
features that will make their lives easier,
their customers’ happier, and ultimately
their businesses more successful.”
POINTOFRENTAL.COM / FALL 2016 12

2016
INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE
It’s almost our favorite time of the year! That wonderful time when all of our favorite
customers come out to Dallas to receive valuable software training, network with
other key players in the industry, and, that’s right, hang out with your favorite Point
of Rental Staff!
We’ve put a lot of work into planning this year’s conference to make it bigger and better
than ever before. We are adding beginner training classes for employees who have
never been trained on a certain aspect and a support room where you can get one on
one help. Registration ends on September 18th, but space is limited so don’t wait to
sign up. Visit conference.point-of-rental.com for all of the details and to register now!
From the voice
of our clients:
13
The 2016 International Conference Awards
Ahead of this year’s International
Conference, October 10-12 in downtown
Dallas, we are accepting entries for a
brand new awards competition for our
customers. With each new release, we
introduce software features to help put
you ahead of your competitors. Now we
want to know how you’re using them!
In its inaugural debut, Point of Rental’s
2016 International Innovation Award will
be presented to the user demonstrating
how the software has been used to help
push them ahead in their market. For
example, a store might describe how
they have utilized Mobile WorkForce or
Dispatch Center and how that feature
has helped them succeed.
Upon receiving the award, the winner
will receive two tickets to the Dallas
Cowboys vs. Cincinnati Bengals NFL
game on Sunday, October 9 at 3:25pm
CST. Furthermore, there will be a full
press release on behalf of the victor’s
business created by Point of Rental’s
marketing team. If the selected winner is
not planning to attend the International
Conference, a $500 Visa gift card will be
awarded instead.
The deadline for entries is Wednesday,
September 7, 2016 at 4pm CST. A panel
of judges will select the winner by
September 15th, but the presentation of the
award will not occur until the International
Conference begins. Please apply at
http://bit.ly/2aaloO1.
How to Apply
1. After visiting the link provided above,
write a short description how Point of Rental
Software has helped you succeed in your
market, which will be used in the awards
presentation for those selected as finalists.
2. Provide a lengthier description of less
than 1,000 words that can be used in a press
release by Point of Rental for the winner.
This description should speak on the original
objectives for your use of the product, what
specific challenges arose, and how Point of
Rental aided in overcoming those obstacles.
3. Email at least two print-quality photos of
the entry to marketing@pointofrental.com.
Videos can also be submitted to supplement
these photographs but not as a replacement.
We look forward to the entries and hope to
see you in Dallas!
“I would recommend this conference
to anyone! It is very informative and a
great way to learn new shortcuts and
techniques from your peers.”
–Robert Copley
Event Essentials
“The information provided on “New”
items is priceless. That information
alone was well worth the trip.”
–Jimmy Allen
Champion Rentals
“I’ve only been using POR for about 6
months. This was a great tool to expand
my knowledge and give insight
to other aspects of the software. Great
instructors who were very knowledgeable.
Will definitely ask my company
to continue sending me to these.”
–Steven Goetter
George’s Tool Rental
“My second year as an attendee and
the refresher courses as well as new
software implementation classes are
great!”
–Stephanie Layson
Party Pro Rental
POINTOFRENTAL.COM / FALL 2016

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Venue Information:
Hyatt Regency Dallas
300 Reunion Boulevard
Dallas, Texas 75207
214.651.1234
Receive a discounted room rate of $199 when you book through our special
link you can find on our website at conference.point-of-rental.com/hotel/
(ends September 16th).
Innovation Awards
Beginner Training Classes
We are introducing a competition for customers
to participate in leading up to the conference. We
will be looking for customers to show how Point
of Rental Software has helped you succeed in
your market (details on pg.13). The winner will
receive two tickets to the Cowboys vs Bengals
game on Sunday, October 9th.
Do you have new employees that have never
been trained on Point of Rental or need a refresher
course on certain aspects of the software?
This year, we are offering 101-level classes
specially designed for this group. With an array
of topics, our classes are designed to help no
matter what level of experience you have.
Support Room
Night Events
Need more 1-on-1 time with support? This year,
we are introducing a support room where you can
log into your system or just ask questions to the
trainer assigned to the room at that time. Sign
up for time slots at the Early Registration Happy
Hour as well each morning before classes start.
One of the most valuable aspects of the conference
is the networking opportunities with other
Point of Rental users and industry leaders. This
year, we will have two night events: Dinner at
Wolfgang Puck’s 360 in Reunion Tower –the
iconic ball of Dallas, and a Casino Night hosted
at the top of the highest building in the city.
PARTNER SPONSORS
PLATINUM
GOLD
RentalHosting.com
Empowering The Rental Industry
SILVER
POINTOFRENTAL.COM / FALL 2016 14

Register now at conference.pointofrental.com!