Windows XP Embedded Tailored for Retail

A Windows XP Embedded-based platform in early 2005 will specifically target point-of-sale or point-of-service (POS) devices, including point-of-sale terminals, kiosks, and self-checkout systems. The new embedded platform for retail devices will include the latest code and features from Windows XP Embedded with Service Pack (SP) 2 and will support the retail industry’s Unified Point of Service (UPOS) device interconnection standard. However, customers who decide to use Microsoft’s retail platform versus a general-purpose embedded OS are choosing quick time-to-market over flexibility.

Retailing a Key Vertical

The retail vertical is important to Microsoft for two reasons. First, the retail sector has more businesses than most verticals. Second, within each retail business there are many opportunities for computers and servers, all of which could potentially license Microsoft software.

To address the retail vertical, Microsoft unveiled its Smarter Retailing Initiative at a National Retail Federation conference in Jan. 2004. This initiative describes Microsoft’s view of a modern retail enterprise built around Windows and the Windows Server System to provide end-to-end integration of in-store systems—from POS devices and kiosks to the back-end systems that manage inventory and sales and provide customer support. As part of this initiative, Microsoft Business Solutions already offers a turnkey Retail Management System that includes application software to help retailers manage a wide range of store operations, including POS and inventory control. Companies such as Radio Shack and J. C. Penney are already deploying POS devices based on Windows XP Embedded.