14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft wants a healthy share of the consumer stomach with Windows Vista. Just bear with me - it will make sense in the end. The fact of the matter is that the Redmond company is after a piece of the estimated $537 billion worth of sales projected for 2007 for the restaurant industry in the U.S. According to Microsoft, at the foundation of perpetuating business success and the growth of the foodservice industry via increasing profitability are investments in innovation and technology.
Essentially, the Redmond company has set up to digitize the foodservice industry with a comprehensive infusion of technology. Tom Litchford, industry solutions director for Microsoft's U.S. Retail and Hospitality Group cited statistics released by the 2007 Restaurant Industry Forecast by the National Restaurant Association, revealing that the foodservice industry has to start to increasingly rely on technology in order to tailor fit their digital customers.
"We are seeing an emergence of disruptive technologies that enable restaurants to address their guests' expectations for using technology while also driving sales. Innovations that expedite table requests, support pre-ordering meals and deliver extended nutritional information are available today on Microsoft software and are accessible to consumers via their Windows Mobile device, Tablet PCs, the Web or a kiosk. Another emerging opportunity that restaurants are starting to adopt to better connect with consumers is mobile marketing", Litchford explained.
Of course that among the first technologies that come to mind is Microsoft Surface. The Redmond company's tabletop computer, an example of surface computing sitting on top of the Windows Vista operating system, is currently an offering delivered for restaurant, bars and hotels, among other locations, but not for the general public. But Microsoft Surface is not the sole product the company envisions as an innovative introduction as an integer part of the mundane services of the foodservice industry. Litchford encouraged the development of flexible solutions and scalable technology infrastructures of services and products via the Microsoft .NET Framework.
"In addition to improving service, we expect the industry to adopt advanced technologies that improve the total experience for consumers by enabling them to access and interact with information or entertainment through natural voice and gestures. One example is our Microsoft Surface technology, the first in a new category of Microsoft surface computing products that break down traditional barriers between people and technology. In the future, foodservice operators will be able to utilize Surface to turn an ordinary tabletop into a vibrant, dynamic experience for guests to interact with all forms of digital content through natural gestures, touch and physical objects, such as virtual menus, nutritional information, wine pairing suggestions and even their bill", Litchford added.