SoftTouch Solutions, Inc.
Co-recipient of the 2012 PPFA Vivian Kistler Innovation Award

The Vivian Kistler Innovation Award honors those responsible for a concept or product that became a significant factor in the picture framing industry; who has made a drastic impact on the industry through innovative development or pioneering efforts; and who has significantly contributed to the advancement of the framing industry.
It is named for Vivian Kistler, whom we sadly lost in early 2010.
Vivian was a driving force in our industry, as owner of Columba Publishing with her framing books and DVDs, as an author and educator, and was herself the recipient of the PPFA Innovation Award, as well as the PPFA Lifetime Achievement Award.
This year, we have a trifecta, honoring three POS Software companies: all 3 are nominated for this honor for developing visionary computer technology that streamlines the ordering process for consumers and framers. These innovations did not stop with point of sale, but continued to move the industry forward with visualization, bar codes, Mac and PC compatibility, online back ups, credit card processing, multiple location access, cost of goods reporting and more. We can probably expect iPad compatible POP, visualization, bar code scanning and more in the future. The use of computers and technology has helped countless frame shops to succeed.
Pictured above, is Ken Link (left), PPFA president presenting the award to Bert de Roo (right), creator of FrameReady software and owner of SoftTouch Solutions, Inc. The other co-recipients of this year's award are Paul Thomas and Dan Merrifield from Lifesaver and Jeff King from SpecialtySoft. (Photo courtesy of Fran Gray.)