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Invent ing Square
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The company Square, Inc., was founded in 2009, but it wasn’t until
2010 that the first application was officially released because devel-
opment took a long time. A small card reader was needed to use the
program, and it would be plugged in via the smartphone’s audio jack.
Jack took care of the programming of the server that would take the pay-
ment information, while Jim worked on the hardware that would be used
to read the credit cards. They teamed up with Tristan O’Tierney, who
worked on programming the iPhone app itself.
Using the application is very simple. All the merchant has to do is in-
put the price on the screen and have customers swipe their card. Signing
a receipt is equally easy; all users have to do is sign their name onscreen.
The process takes less than a few seconds, and is as easy to use as any
other retail card reader.
Square filled the gap that Jack and Jim felt was missing from the
modern technological world. Although the app was designed with small
merchants in mind, it has been picked up by larger companies as well.
Make Connections: Square Register
The advantages of using Square do not stop at the location it is
used. Even some retail stores have begun using the Square Register
application, which essentially turns an iPad into an improved cash
register. The difference between a Square Register and a cash
register is what information the two registers keep track of. While
all cash registers keep track of total sales made, Square Registers
analyze data and can keep track of what items were sold and how many of
each item were sold. The information gathered through Square Register can be
used to help merchants better understand what items are in demand and when.