1ST SISTEMA was founded in 1999 in anticipation of a structural shift that most of the industry had not yet recognized: the inevitable replacement of millions of legacy Electronic Cash Registers (ECRs) with software-driven Point of Sale systems.
At that time, the market reality was stark. Retail and hospitality operations were still dominated by proprietary ECRs, while the few existing POS solutions were rudimentary, MS-DOS–based applications, heavily dependent on keyboards, mice, and fixed workflows. The upcoming Y2K transition, the introduction of the Euro, and the operational limitations of ECRs made clear that a new generation of POS architecture was not optional—it was unavoidable.
From the outset, 1ST SISTEMA focused on building a future-proof POS platform designed for multi-location operations, offline reliability, and deep customization. Crucially, the company created the first POS system designed specifically for touch-screen operation, eliminating dependency on keyboard and mouse and aligning the software with the real ergonomics of front-of-house environments.
At the time, only a handful of manufacturers—most notably IBM—were producing professional touch-screen hardware suitable for retail use. This led to a close collaboration with IBM and the company becoming an official IBM Business Partner. The POS platform was certified at IBM's European headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, undergoing the most stringent compatibility and reliability tests across the full range of IBM retail hardware. The system achieved IBM Store Proven certification, a distinction reserved for solutions meeting the highest operational standards.
Between 2000 and 2003, 1ST SISTEMA became a recognized technology provider not only across the EMEA region, but internationally, with deployments and partnerships extending beyond Europe into global markets. The company was awarded by IBM in 2001 and 2002 as Best Software Solution for the EMEA Region, later achieving Preferred and Gold IBM Business Partner status. Its POS platform was selected by Casio and Epson as a white-label solution, distributed alongside their professional hardware lines.
In 2002, 1ST SISTEMA launched one of the first self-service POS kiosks deployed in real commercial environments, as well as one of the earliest POS systems natively connected to Internet-based e-commerce platforms—years before "omnichannel" became an industry term.
The technology was adopted by international chains and deployed at scale. After a commercially successful run, the company was sold, later repurchased, and ultimately dissolved in 2004. However, its architectural principles—treating the POS as a live execution layer, prioritizing offline operation, and designing for long-term operational control—continued to evolve and remain relevant today.
These principles, along with the accumulated experience and engineering culture, later became the foundation of what is today Yakuma and ManaoPOS.
Acknowledgment
While this page reflects my direct involvement and perspective, the success of 1ST SISTEMA was the result of a collective effort. I want to acknowledge my co-founders, business partners, engineers, customers, and colleagues whose work and commitment were fundamental to what the company achieved.
Alex Conesa
Co-Founder
This page was written by me to document and preserve the work and architectural ideas behind 1ST SISTEMA.