RALEIGH, NC – The Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA) announced the 2025 Vendor Awards of Excellence (VAE) winners and individual award recipients during the July 28 General Session at RetailNOW 2025 held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. RSPA awards recognize exceptional companies and individuals for their outstanding service, innovation, and leadership within the retail IT channel.
An RSPA Vendor Award of Excellence is an honor given to a vendor by their resellers and is highly coveted in the retail technology industry. RSPA Vendor Awards of Excellence are the only awards in the industry where resellers can actually vote for their favorite vendors in six categories: Electronic Payments/Financing, Technology Distributor, Software, Software & Hardware, Hardware Manufacturer and Reseller Support Services.
The 2025 RSPA Vendor Awards of Excellence category winners are:
Electronic Payments/Financing:
- Gold: Datacap
- Silver: CoCard
- Bronze: BOLD Integrated Payments
Technology Distributor:
- Gold: M-S Cash Drawer
- Silver: BlueStar
- Bronze: ScanSource
Reseller Support Services:
- Gold: Card Market
- Silver: Washburn Computer Group
- Bronze: eCard Systems
Hardware Manufacturer:
- Gold (tie): Touch Dynamic
- Gold (tie): Epson America
- Silver: HANASIS
- Bronze: WTIwireless
- Honorable Mention: Datalogic
- Honorable Mention: PAX Technology
Hardware & Software:
- Gold: Cash Register Sales (CRS)
- Silver: IPOS Systems (Dejavoo Systems)
- Bronze: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions
Software:
- Gold: OrderCounter Hybrid POS
- Silver: NCC
- Bronze: EdgeServ POS
- Honorable Mention: Tonic POS
- Honorable Mention: SpotOn
In 2024, by member request, RSPA expanded the Vendor Awards of Excellence program with the addition of the RSPA Retail IT Community Leadership Award. That award is earned through RSPA Community engagement and support. Community Leadership Award criteria includes attending RetailNOW and the RSPA Inspire Leadership Conference, participating in RSPA communities, contributing thought leadership content to the RSPA website and RSPA events, recruiting partners to join the association, and RSPA sponsorship.
The 2025 Community Leadership Award winners are:
- Distributor: BlueStar
- Vendor: Star Micronics
- ISV: OrderCounter Hybrid POS
RSPA individual awards recognize outstanding leaders who have made a significant impact on the retail IT community through their dedication, expertise, and service. This year, four honors were presented: H.O. Whistler Award, W2W Leader of the Year Award, RSPA Life Member Award, and RSPA Hall of Fame.
The H. O. Whistler Award recognizes outstanding short-term service or a significant project that has earned the gratitude and esteem of RSPA members through dedicated service and leadership in accomplishing important goals. The 2025 H.O. Whistler Award honoree is Terry Zeigler of Datacap Systems for his work with the RSPA Scholarship Program. Thanks to his leadership, in just the past three years, seven new scholarships have been established through nearly a half million dollars in new donations, resulting in nearly $30,000 in new RSPA scholarships awarded every year.
The W2W Leader of the Year honors a woman in the Retail Technology Industry who is determined to reshape the industry, create a smarter and more inclusive future, and exemplify a pioneering spirit that paves the way for others. The 2025 W2W Leader of the Year is Sandee Finley of PaySafe Associates.
RSPA Life Membership is the highest honor awarded to an RSPA member by the association for outstanding service to the association and its members over a substantial period of time. The 2025 RSPA Life Member honoree is Linda Sudderth of Epson.
RSPA Hall of Fame inductees are individuals who, throughout their careers, have made exemplary contributions to the industry while upholding the highest standards of professionalism. The 2025 RSPA Hall of Fame inductee is Brad Holaway.
For additional details on RSPA awards, visit the RSPA Awards and Acknowledgements web page.
About RSPA (Retail Solutions Providers Association)
The RSPA is North America’s largest community of VARs, software providers, vendors, and distributors in the retail, restaurant, and grocery verticals. The mission of the RSPA is to accelerate the success of its members in the retail technology ecosystem by providing knowledge and connections. The organization offers member-to-member introductions, education, legal advice, industry advocacy, and other services to assist members with becoming and remaining successful. RSPA is most well-known for its signature events, RetailNOW® and Inspire® which provide face-to-face learning and networking opportunities. Learn more by visiting www.GoRSPA.org.
