Computer and office equipment finance company ThinkSmart is counting on investment by its merchant partners in the upgrade of their point-of-sale systems to drive new business, according to an investor briefing held yesterday. ThinkSmart is working with select merchants to integrate its own lending system with POS systems to cut down the time taken to finalise lease and rental agreements with customers.In Australia, a couple of merchants - JB HiFi and Dick Smith - will upgrade their POS systems later in the year. They will build on systems developed by ThinkSmart in the UK for the Dixons chain, and where new sales and EBITDA are increasing quickly in what is still a new business line for the firm.ThinkSmart is also seeking to drive sales through "multichannel and pure-play online retail markets", though the firm didn't cite any examples of target merchants in its investor presentation, which it made in connection with its interim profit released yesterday.The firm said revenue in the six months to June 2011 increased by 11 per cent, to A$21.8 million, over the same period last year, with a third of the rise due to foreign exchange effects.Net profit for ThinkSmart in the half increased by five per cent to $2.9 million. EBITDA increased by nine per cent to $6.3 million.As previously disclosed, ThinkSmart has secured new funding arrangements with Westpac and Adelaide Bank that, in conjunction with a new accounting treatment, are expected to lift margins over time.The future of ThinkSmart's operations in Spain and Italy will be reviewed later in the year. These account for around two per cent of turnover.