A new version of Retail Management System (RMS) delivers improved credit card security and better headquarters reporting. RMS supports retail transaction processing, inventory management, and other business functions for retailers with multiple stores. A related product aimed at small retailers, Microsoft Point of Sale, has begun to appear preloaded on hardware from Microsoft partners.

Retail Management System 1.3

The upgrade for Microsoft's Retail Management System (RMS) includes the following enhancements:

• Headquarters worksheets, created routinely as part of the system's normal operations, can now be more easily deleted to free up memory and improve startup speed
• Credit card numbers can now be masked so they are not stored with transaction records or printed on receipts
• Credit card transaction information can be automatically deleted from the system after settlement with a payment provider
• A new inventory module allows the use of portable devices to count inventory and compare with expected quantities
• Improved database connectivity between RMS Headquarters and Store Operations modules frees memory and reduces downtime.

RMS prices range from US$890 to US$1,190 per lane for the Store Operations software. The Headquarters software, used to manage multiple stores, starts at about US$3,000 for two stores, plus an additional US$500 per store.

The product is sold through Microsoft partners, who provide purchase and installation assistance. The price also includes one year of technical support and any upgrades released in the first year after purchase. Upgrades to RMS 1.3 will be free for customers who have current support agreements.

Point-of-Sale Hardware

Microsoft Point of Sale (POS), point-of-sale software primarily aimed at single store operations, now comes bundled on point-of-sale hardware from several vendors.

Casio offers POS on a touch-screen system, while Hewlett-Packard offers it on its rp5000 point-of-sale terminal. DigiPos combines it with a small-footprint system with powered serial ports that eliminate the need for peripherals to have separate power supplies.

The bundled systems are available from partners and are expected to be priced at under US$3,000.

Microsoft retail systems are described in detail at www.microsoft.com/BusinessSolutions/retailpointofsale.mspx.