NRF: Clarity unveils POS 'Innovation Lane'

NEW YORK — Clarity Consulting today presented its "Innovation Lane" — a new POS technology concept system featuring Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 and unified communications technologies.

On display in Microsoft Corp.'s Booth No. 637 at the NRF 98th Annual Convention & Expo, the Innovation Lane demonstrates how retailers can increase efficiency and store management — shaving more than 10 seconds off each transaction, which can result in millions of dollars saved annually — while improving the consumer experience for big-box to mid-size retailers nationwide.

Using Microsoft's new Windows Embedded POSReady 2009 platform, the Innovation Lane showcases a combination of hardware and software that can be easily integrated into a retailer's existing POS infrastructure, thereby limiting start-up and installation costs. In addition, the Microsoft software-based platform enables communications at a fraction of the cost of traditional hardware-based telephony solutions — creating savings today and throughout the life of the system. Key features include:

• A redesigned check-out lane that puts everything within arms' reach for cashiers, making it faster and more ergonomically efficient to handle transactions
• An advanced user interface featuring simpler prompts, easier to use features and a more visually-engaging screen, designed to improve efficiency and reduce training costs
• Advanced security features like biometric log-on that use finger print data to access information
• Smartphone-enabled loyalty programs which allow consumers to download loyalty cards to their phones then scan them at check out
• NFC (near field communication)-enabled payment processing which lets consumers "wave and go" (pass a payment card in front of reader to complete payment)
• Enhanced fraud prevention including image validation to reduce theft and product shrink

The concept lane also boasts innovation in the form of a fully integrated Microsoft-based unified communications suite of software. Unified communications bridges the gap between telephony and computing to deliver real-time messaging, voice, e-mail and presence capabilities — ensuring the lane and its operator are connected to the rest of the store.

For example, employees working the Innovation Lane can conduct price checks, customer inquiries and more using a voice call, image or text message. Sales associates on the store floor are armed with tablet PCs programmed with "presence" — a feature that shows whether they are available or busy. If available, a picture, call or message pops up with the checkout request. Additional tablet PC features include:

• Product Lookup: Find key items, pricing information and images — using the SKU or a bar code scan — from the retailer's product catalog or database. Monitor start of day (SOD) inventory status in-store and at participating stores on-network.
• Checkout: Complete sales on-the-spot. The tablet PC displays a simple tender screen with payment type and details — the customer can complete the transaction and take the receipt or fill in his/her email address and have it emailed to them.
• Customer Callback Request: Answer customer inquiries real-time. Receive a request notification — along with details about the transaction including a copy of the receipt — on the tablet PC then initiate a callback to the customer immediately. (Note: the customer's phone number is embedded vs. displayed, thereby protecting privacy).

For shoppers, this means near-instant access to information, personalized service, a more efficient shopping experience and, ultimately, a higher level of satisfaction. The Innovation Lane features a 15-inch touchscreen facing the customer that shows images of everything scanned and purchased and provides streaming audio and video of complementary items along with additional information about warranties and special offers the retailer can provide. The system also utilizes this customer-facing screen to encourage the customer to complete the tendering portion of the transaction while the associate rings the sale, saving valuable time at checkout.

The Innovation Lane was built with the latest Microsoft technologies, including Windows Embedded POSReady 2009, Office Communications Server 2007, Windows Presentation Foundation, the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 and was developed using Microsoft Expression design tools and Visual Studio 2008.