Founder & Chief Architect
John Giles
Building better POS technology for more than 30 years.
John Giles is the founder and chief architect of Round 2 POS and the original creator of Future POS. He has spent more than three decades developing point-of-sale technology for the restaurants, retailers, resellers, and operators who rely on it every day.
Explore Round 2 POS
The Origin Story
From Future POS to Round 2 POS
John started Future POS in the basement of his grandmother's home in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 1998. What began as a new approach to restaurant point-of-sale software grew into a globally used platform with an established reseller network and a team of more than 60 employees.
By its 20th anniversary, Future POS served more than 13,000 restaurants worldwide and ranked among the top five POS software solutions in independent industry surveys. The Retail Solutions Providers Association named it a Vendor of Excellence 11 times in 12 years.
John sold Future POS in 2017 and soon started asking what he would build if he could start over with everything he'd learned. His answer was a new platform written from the beginning. That became Round 2 POS.
Years building POS technology
Restaurants on Future POS
Restaurant POS platform
RSPA Vendor of Excellence
The Philosophy
Make it better.
A Fresh Start
Starting Over, This Time With Decades of Experience
John treated Round 2 POS as a chance to rethink the technology behind a modern POS system from the ground up. He evaluated databases, operating systems, hardware, and printers one by one and chose the best current tool for each job.
Linux-Based Platform
Round 2 runs on a Linux foundation selected for performance.
Speed & Stability
Built to stay fast and dependable through the busiest service periods.
Security First
Security was weighed in every technology choice, from the operating system up.
Long-Term Reliability
Components chosen to hold up in real-world environments for years.
Built by Someone Who Has Done It Before
John built Round 2 after decades of seeing firsthand what works in point of sale, what fails, and what businesses actually need.
His experience with Future POS shaped the new platform from day one. Lessons from software development, hardware, payments, reseller relationships, restaurant operations, support, and scalability all went into it, including how it's tested.
The POS Stress Lab
Round 2 tests its technology extensively in its POS Stress Lab, so limitations turn up there instead of in the field. Hardware and software are pushed under demanding conditions to evaluate performance, reliability, and compatibility before they reach a customer.
See the Stress LabBeyond the Terminal
More Than a POS System
As the POS and payments industries changed, John saw independent businesses and value-added resellers facing many of the same challenges. Restaurants were navigating rising costs and shifting technology, while longtime POS resellers watched established products and business models disappear.
Today, Round 2 POS pairs modern point-of-sale technology with tools built to support both merchants and the VAR community, so businesses, resellers, and the people building the technology can succeed together.
Explore Round 2 CRMRound 2 CRM brings together:
- Lead management
- AI-powered statement analysis
- Electronic merchant applications
- Portfolio visibility
- POS fleet management
Built for the Long Term
Self-Funded
Round 2 POS is self-funded, so the team makes technology and business decisions around the long-term needs of its customers.
Employee-Owned
John has committed to building Round 2 POS as an employee-owned company, where employees, customers, and resellers share an interest in its long-term success.
Milestones
A Career Built Around POS Innovation
John Giles founds Future POS in Butler, Pennsylvania, and begins developing point-of-sale software for the hospitality industry.
Future POS grows from a startup into an established restaurant POS provider with more than 13,000 restaurant customers worldwide, ranking among the top five POS software solutions.
John sells Future POS and steps away from the company he spent nearly two decades building.
After evaluating a new generation of technology, John launches Round 2 POS and begins building an entirely new point-of-sale platform.
John leads the development and technology strategy behind Round 2 POS, Round 2 CRM, and the POS Stress Lab, working with businesses and resellers on the next generation of point-of-sale technology.
In the Industry
John Giles in the POS Industry
John has been an active voice in the point-of-sale and retail technology community throughout his career. His work on Future POS and Round 2 POS has been featured by industry organizations and publications covering POS technology, restaurant technology, reseller strategy, and the future of the retail IT channel.
RSPA Trusted Advisor Podcast
Strategy and Leadership with John Giles
RSPA CEO Jim Roddy talks with John about building Future POS into a top-five restaurant POS platform, the Round 2 POS Stress Lab, leadership, and his approach to the retail technology industry.
RSPA Trusted Advisor Podcast
John Giles Envisions the VAR of the Future
John joins RSPA's Trusted Advisor podcast to discuss Round 2 POS, the future of the VAR community, changing business models, and what resellers need to build sustainable businesses for the next generation.
RSPA Feature
Future POS Celebrates 20 Years of Success
RSPA looks back at the first 20 years of Future POS, including its growth to more than 13,000 restaurants worldwide, its reseller network, industry recognition, and John's role in building the company.
Butler Eagle
New Point-of-Sale System Pays Off for Henry's Meat Market
The Butler Eagle visits Henry's Meat Market, a local Butler business running on Round 2 POS, to see how the new system is working out.
This Is Round 2
Round 2 Means Doing It Better the Second Time
John has already spent decades building POS technology. With Round 2 POS, that experience is the starting point: a new platform, a modern technology stack, and a second chance to rethink what point-of-sale technology can be for the businesses and resellers that depend on it.
