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Squirrel Systems Ltd.

Type	Private
Founded	1984
Headquarters	Vancouver, Canada
Industry	Hospitality Systems, Computer hardware
Products	SQUiRREL Classic, SquirrelONE RMS, Squirrel In A Box
Website	www.squirrelsystems.com

Squirrel Systems is a Vancouver-based point of sale vendor specializing in turnkey hospitality management systems. Squirrel's corporate headquarters, research and development laboratories, and solution center are based in Vancouver, Canada; Squirrel Systems has sales offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco as well as Vancouver.^[1] SquirrelOne restaurant management software is currently installed at over 10,000 companies worldwide.^[2]

History

Squirrel Systems headquarters

Squirrel Systems was founded in 1984, and released the first restaurant point of sale system to use an integrated diskless touchscreen terminal for order management. Originally a wholly owned subsidiary of Sulcus Hospitality Technologies Corporation, in 1998 Sulcus merged with Eltrax Systems, Incorporated (Nasdaq SmallCap: ELTX).^[3] In 2007 Squirrel Systems announced a plan to merge with Posera Software.^[4]

Squirrel Workstation

One of the unique characteristics of Squirrel's original product was the use of hardened LCD touchscreen terminals. Unlike other systems that used keyboards and CRT monitors, Squirrel terminals had no moving parts and were easily adapted to any operating environment. The original Squirrel terminals reached over 35,000 installed units worldwide, and was the first to integrate an LCD panel, credit card reader, employee ID reader, and CPU inside a single unit. Later units would incorporate IP connectivity, remote booting of a customized Linux operating system, and a Java virtual machine.^[5]

Squirrel Embedded Linux

In 1998 Squirrel Systems released Squirrel Embedded Linux (SEL), a customized distribution of Linux for "thin client" terminal architecture.^[6] SEL has several characteristics that were unique at the time of development, including primary support for diskless workstations, customized high-volume touchscreen drivers, integrated Java virtual machine with hardware control, and two-stage booting from a Windows server.^[7][8]

Industry awards

• In 1998, Squirrel was the third recipient of the Microsoft Retail Application Developer award at the HITEC Show in Los Angeles. Microsoft recognized SquirrelONE as the first application to integrate Java, Microsoft SQL Server, and Windows NT in the retail market.^[9]

• Squirrel Systems was awarded the 1999 Independent Cash Register Dealers Association Silver Award for Outstanding Sponsor in Systems/Software.^[10]

• In 2005 Squirrel Systems was awarded Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status.^[11]

External links

• Squirrel Systems

References

1. ^ Squirrel Systems (2004-05-22). "Squirrel Systems Celebrates 20 Year Anniversary". Press release. http://www.squirrelsystems.com/news/press/040522.html. Retrieved 2007-03-30.  
2. ^ Squirrel Systems. "About Squirrel Systems". Press release. https://techweb.squirrelsystems.com/Marketing/New_Collateral/Family%20-%20About%20Squirrel.pdf. Retrieved 2007-03-30.  
3. ^ Eltrax Systems (1998-11-12). "Sulcus announces planned merger with Eltrax Systems, Inc.". Press release. http://www.squirrelsystems.com/news/press/981112.html. Retrieved 2007-03-30.  
4. ^ Squirrel Systems & Posera Software (2007-01-31). "Posera Software and Squirrel Systems Announce Intent to Merge". Press release. http://www.squirrelsystems.com/news/press/013107.html. Retrieved 2007-03-30.  
5. ^ Squirrel Systems (1999-06-21). "Squirrel Announces New Network-Ready Touch Terminal". Press release. http://www.squirrelsystems.com/news/press/990621.html. Retrieved 2007-03-30.  
6. ^ "Squirrel POS". Linux Journal. 2001-09-01. http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/4798. Retrieved 2009-07-17.  
7. ^ "Embedded Linux advantages -- and challenges -- in a retail POS system". http://linuxdevices.com/articles/AT2874315267.html. Retrieved 2007-03-30.  
8. ^ Eltrax Systems (1999-12-20). "Eltrax Announces Release Of Linux Version Of Restaurant Application Solution.". Press release. http://www.squirrelsystems.com/news/press/991220.html. Retrieved 2007-03-30.  
9. ^ Squirrel Systems & Microsoft (1998-06-16). "Squirrel WINS MICROSOFT 1998 R.A.D. AWARD". Press release. http://www.squirrelsystems.com/news/press/980616.html. Retrieved 2007-03-30.  
10. ^ Squirrel Systems (1999-07-29). "Squirrel Wins Silver at I.C.R.D.A. Convention". Press release. http://www.squirrelsystems.com/news/press/990729.html. Retrieved 2007-03-30.  
11. ^ Squirrel Systems & Microsoft (2005-05-21). "Squirrel Systems awarded Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Status". Press release. http://www.squirrelsystems.com/news/press/050521.html. Retrieved 2007-03-30.