NCR Corporation yesterday announced NCR Retail ONE, a new commerce hub that unites an open ecosystem of retail applications and data with an omnichannel software platform.
In plain English this means that retailers, be they from individual stores to large chains, can get into digital marketing, digital coupons and promotions, loyalty programs, digital wallets, sale by click & collect and so on – all of which will work from any device with its own IP address. This includes computers of any kind, smartphones, point of sale devices and RFID devices plus kiosks and wearables like Google Glasses and smart watches.
It’s all about linking existing POS and management systems via a recently coined term called The Internet of Things (IoT for short). The Internet of Things is a scenario in which objects, animals or people are provided with unique IP addresses and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. IoT has evolved from the convergence of wireless technologies, micro-electromechanical systems, the Internet and more recently, cloud storage of huge volumes of data. This apparently is where the world will be heading in coming years. And it’s already taking the retail industry along with it.
NCR says this innovative new software will provide frictionless shopping experiences for consumers. The big plus for retailers is the NCR Retail One does not require the retailer to replace existing POS, or back office systems or other existing digital assets. It also provides an evolutionary path for retailers as they progressively begin to embrace a future enabled by the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data.
“The possibilities created by technology are shaping the future of retail,” said Stephanie Lee, director, technical operations – APAC for NCR Retail Solutions. “On the one hand, empowered consumers demand a frictionless shopping experience delivered anywhere, anyhow, anytime. On the other, retailers have the opportunity to engage with and derive value from consumers in entirely new ways. To capitalise on this dynamic, retailers must ensure they are well-positioned to keep pace. NCR Retail ONE commerce hub provides the answer to these challenges, unleashing the potential for retailers and re-defining the shopping experience for consumers.”Benefits of the new commerce hub include faster time to market and accelerating innovation by breaking down technology silos and enabling true omnicommerce. NCR Retail ONE provides the interconnectivity needed to achieve this, and handle complex volumes of data generated by retail business. It also provides the advanced analytics to ensure that actionable insight can be derived from the huge volumes of data.
“NCR Retail ONE offers a cost-effective, gradual transition by integrating and leveraging existing hardware and software assets to increase the efficiency of retail operations,” said Vincent De Stefano – director Sales – Oceana Region for NCR Retail Solutions. “Retailers are able to choose applications from a portfolio that is customised to meet their unique business needs and provides the agility and adaptability that they demand. This approach to applications also reduces time to market as retailers deploy new services for their customers.”
Accelerating the shift from store-centric to consumer-centric experiences, NCR Retail ONE makes the most of today’s retail touchpoints, while enabling the touchpoints of tomorrow. NCR says that this is achieved by implementing NCR Retail ONE commerce hub using the cloud, on-premise software or a hybrid of both.
For more detail on NCR Retail ONE commerce hub go to http://www.ncr.com/retail/ncr-retail-one.