14 DAY TRIAL // On January 12, 2009, Microsoft announced the availability of its next generation of Windows operating system for Point of Service. The National Retail Federation (NRF) Annual Convention & Expo, acted as the stage where the Redmond company revealed that Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 would go into action via an enterprise-wide deployment by Douglas, a top fragrance and cosmetics retailer in Europe. Jeroen Timmer, director of IT at Douglas, indicated that the retailer planned to introduce Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 in its newer stores first.
“The new POS platform provides us with a viable solution for meeting present and future business needs,” Timmer said.
“As we look to move toward diskless hardware platforms, we saw a long-term opportunity with Windows Embedded POSReady 2009, which supports flash and other data storage technologies. With fewer moving hardware parts, we expect higher levels of reliability and longer system life cycles, which will save us money over time.”
The platform, with Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 at its heart, which Douglas will deploy, is built by Wincor Nixdorf, and will feature a touch-screen interface designed to streamline the process of customer service. Through the latest iteration of Windows OS for Point of Service, Microsoft is offering customers security on par with Windows XP SP3, technologies such as .NET Framework 3.5 and a fully customizable OS.
“The Windows Embedded team is committed to providing our partners and customers with an innovative POS operating system that enhances POS function and enables retailers to offer a differentiated user experience,” Ilya Bukshteyn, senior director of Windows Embedded Marketing at Microsoft, added.
“Using familiar Windows technologies, Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 enables a connected, rich experience at the checkout counter, which leads to meeting and exceeding shopper expectations and driving customer loyalty.”