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Recognizing the advantages of the Linux platform
As they upgrade their store environments, retailers are looking for solutions that will help them provide broader, richer and more engaging interactions with consumers. Examples include consumer-empowered devices, such as kiosks in stores for price checks, gift registries and photo processing; and flat-panel displays that enable retailers to update advertising on the fly and replace costly-to-change static signage.
Not only must these new POS technologies enable retailers to sell through multiple channels, they must be integrated with a retailer’s systems so that messaging and data are consistent across all channels, and customers receive the same level of service at different touch points.
With nearly one-third of retailers planning to upgrade their POS systems in the next two years,2 the industry is ripe for technology solutions that can enable new customer-facing applications, speed customer checkout, improve reliability and reduce TCO. The Linux operating system is the ideal platform for delivering that technology, offering advantages such as:
- Reliability and stability
- Better performance at a lower cost
- Flexibility and scalability, inherent in using open standards
Linux technology enables retailers to build loyalty and motivate spending by supporting applications that enable them to deliver a superior customer experience — an important element in creating an on demand retail environment. Java™ applications that integrate with the Linux operating system help to modernize the retail store environment and provide the sales force with access to the right information at the right time, improving their effectiveness and boosting productivity.
Enhancing the retail store with the IBM Retail Environment for SUSE LINUX Leveraging the capabilities of the Linux operating environment, IRES runs on a wide range of hardware platforms, from mainframe computers to desktop and notebook computers and PDAs, enabling retailers to take advantage of Linux technology at the POS and on back-office servers. Providing a distribution of SUSE LINUX Retail Solution (SLRS) from Novell — based on the robust SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server (SLES) base — IRES features POS-specific tools and is optimized to work with select IBM SurePOS™ systems, IBM® xSeries® hardware and IBM middleware, and offerings from leading independent software vendors (ISVs).
SLES is a universal operating system, shipping on dozens of platforms and hardware architectures. Because it uses the same code base as its source for all hardware platforms, SLES helps ensure that changes made on the software for IBM zSeries® servers are immediately available for the IBM pSeries® and xSeries lines.3 This allows retailers to leverage the same operating system skills across their entire business. Based on SLES, IRES is an open, flexible platform that enables POS functions for the retail environment. Plus, IRES is a leading Linux solution specifically tailored for the retail industry, enabling the Linux platform for all three tiers of retailing — user touch points, in-store servers and enterprise servers.
Lower TCO
With IRES for the POS, the Linux operating system scales to retail environments of all sizes and runs anywhere in the store — from the POS to back-office servers to a mainframe. This built-in versatility enables retailers to scale out or up as their needs evolve and to leverage the same applications and administration skills — helping to eliminate the costs of managing multiple operating systems in a single store or across the enterprise.
By facilitating the consolidation of IT skill sets, IRES helps retailers increase utilization rates and lower IT costs — including by reducing the need for Linux skills in all stores. Additionally, a combined server/client image allows for a single system to be used as a backup server and POS/client terminal in larger stores, or as the server and a backup POS terminal in smaller store environments (ten or fewer POS terminals). Solution components in IRES are preconfigured and tested together. And IBM provides extended support — complete with predictable upgrade release cycles and a pricing structure appropriate for POS clients — helping retailers to take out costs by streamlining store operations. IRES comes standard with scalable systems-management tools designed for use by employees with limited IT expertise. IRES supports thin-client diskless environments — helping to improve uptime and speed recovery from downtime — without the need to purchase additional software.
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