Microsoft

Microsoft is the world’s No. 1 provider of software, IT services and Internet technologies. Based in Redmond, USA, the company employs more than 85,000 people around the world. Its product portfolio includes operating systems for PCs, servers and mobile devices, software for corporate and private users, multimedia applications and online services as well as developer tools.

Microsoft supports the retail industry in realizing the potential of new digital technologies. In cooperation with leading system integrators, solution providers and device manufacturers, the company offers integrated software platforms that support the deployment of innovative technologies – solutions that afford customers an outstanding shopping experience while making internal business processes more efficient. It also has a comprehensive portfolio of technology tools for the central and local management of store chains. Along with its partners, Microsoft provides systems for front-store applications and store systems, supply chain management and real-time analytics. One of them is a platform based on .NET technology: it allows integrated, real-time data exchange with industry partners and facilitates multi-channel retailing.

Microsoft sees METRO GROUP's Future Store Initiative as an ideal platform for presenting an experience of tomorrow’s retail today. With Windows Embedded for Point of Service (WEPOS), Windows CE.NET and the integrated analysis and reporting functionality of Microsoft database technology, the company provides some of the world’s leading infrastructure components. An integrated RFID Framework lets industry users define and analyze their business processes more effectively and efficiently. The BizTalk Server is a powerful integration tool (EAI) that automates business processes and creates the prerequisites for ‘people-ready business’ – the ideal backbone for service-oriented architectures. The results and experiences drawn from the practical tests at the real,- Future Store help retail companies optimize their applications and actively contribute to shaping the future of commerce.

The technology behind many integrated solutions for retail is based on the .NET Framework, Microsoft’s strategic concept for connecting information, people, systems and devices via Web services. A Microsoft SQL Server manages the information stored in a central database. The Microsoft BizTalk Server facilitates data coordination between business partners while the Windows Server operating system supports advanced modes of communication. Microsoft Office applications such as SharePoint Server and Live Meeting help streamline the cooperation between locations and partners. Solutions based on Windows Mobile ensure mobile work integrates seamlessly with any system.

Microsoft has developed a cost-effective software platform for the support of RFID solutions. It is based on an open-standard technology which permits communication with third-party applications and business processes – the BizTalk Server. The platform’s preinstalled version combines existing RFID-related standards, process chain management and a broad selection of hardware. The platform is based on the Windows Server operating system and is very developer-friendly.

An industry solution for medium-sized and large retail businesses, Retail Chain Manager for Microsoft Dynamics AX is based on the Microsoft Dynamics platform. The solution visualizes the processes that hold between central headquarters and outlets or between different outlets. The software enables the streamlining of supply chains, such as the demand-driven distribution of goods to different outlets, and supports sales promotion measures and warehouse inventory management. The solution also offers a range of reporting functions for high-quality decision support.

Windows Embedded for Point of Service (WEPOS) is a standard operating system platform intended for the point of sale and tailored to the specific requirements of the retail industry. Providing plugand- play functionality for peripherals, WEPOS reduces life cycle costs and offers the longest product support life cycle in the industry. Service and maintenance, as well as the hardware, are part of the package.

Claus Godehus
Industry Manager Retail, Logistic & Services
Phone: +49 2131 70 8123
E-mail:  claus.godehus@microsoft.com
 www.microsoft.com/germany