Windows Embedded for Point of Service enhances retail experience
Updated: May 15, 2006
For retail organizations looking to improve the customer experience while reducing costs, a revolutionary solution has arrived. Demonstrating its commitment to the retail market, Microsoft has created an operating system and application environment that delivers what retailers demand for point of service (POS) systems: Support for plug-and-play functionality to quickly and easily set up, use, and manage retail peripheral devices.
Microsoft Windows Embedded for Point of Service is the first point of service software platform to include plug-and-play support for retail peripheral devices. Now, retailers can take advantage of an easy-to-use POS platform that integrates tightly with existing legacy systems—leaving more time to improve the customer experience.
Windows Embedded for Point of Service is a core offering within Microsoft Smarter Retailing, building on proven technologies and industry best practices to help retailers improve selling through better access to customer and product information.
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Support from 40-plus industry partners drives opportunities
With tremendous support from retail industry system providers, peripheral suppliers, and application vendors, Windows Embedded for Point of Service is creating unparalleled opportunities for retail customers everywhere.
More than 40 industry partners are creating a variety of original solutions based on Windows Embedded for Point of Service that both meet current business needs of today’s retailers and drive new opportunities for improving customer service going forward. And that means staying ahead of the competition. These solutions include a broad range of retail applications, device peripherals, and service applications that enable companies to update existing point of service systems and create new applications, quickly and affordably.
First plug-and-play platform for retail peripheral devices
For retailers, providing a consistent, high-quality customer experience at the point of service is crucial to stay ahead of competitors. The quality of these customer interactions is based on the technology that drives them, from RFID−enabled grocery checkouts to self-service kiosks offering suggestions based on customer preferences. Windows Embedded for Point of Service is optimized for retail point of service devices. With this platform, customers can implement a comprehensive solution that offers:
| • | Ease of use. Plug-and-play functionality makes it easy to set up, use, and manage retail peripheral devices. As the first point-of-service software platform to provide plug-and-play functionality for retail device peripherals, the solution offers immediate benefits to productivity and minimizes training time so that companies can achieve unparalleled efficiencies. |
| • | Enhanced customer experiences. Retail and hospitality organizations can create high-quality customer interactions through: 1) An optimized platform that contains all the required retail-specific technologies, and 2) Support for standard retail applications and device peripherals. |
| • | Low life cycle costs. This platform provides fast time-to-market for system providers and low development, deployment, management, and hardware costs for the POS system. |
Powerful technologies come with 10-year published support policy
Windows Embedded for Point of Service is based on Microsoft Windows XP Embedded with Service Pack 2. Familiar deployment and management technologies such as Microsoft Software Update Services (SUS) 2.0 and Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 enable customers to considerably reduce service and maintenance costs. Microsoft Internet Explorer offers robust default security settings, while additional support for Windows Update simplifies system updates and boosts security for customers.
In addition to these powerful technologies, Microsoft is offering a 10-year published support policy for Windows Embedded for Point of Service—the longest published support policy available.
Learn more about Windows Embedded for Point of Service
Microsoft Windows Embedded for Point of Service Web site
Find out how you can focus on the business at hand by using innovative solutions based on Windows Embedded for Point of Service. From downloads and data sheets to white papers and FAQs, this Web site makes it easy for retailers to find the perfect solution.
Microsoft Windows Embedded for Point of Service Product Catalog
For partner and retail organizations, the Windows Embedded for Point of Service Product Catalog provides a single resource for applications and peripherals verified to work with Windows Embedded for Point of Service.
Microsoft Windows Embedded Developer Center
Learn about the advantages, functionality, and support for the first Microsoft Windows operating system designed specifically for point of service (POS) systems in retail.
Microsoft Smarter Retailing
Find out how Microsoft Smarter Retailing incorporates products such as Windows Embedded Point of Service to bring dramatic improvements to customer service through better access to customer and product information.
