Microsoft Will Showcase Smarter Retailing in Action at 2005 MARKETECHNICS

WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 14, 2005 — Microsoft Corp. will demonstrate Microsoft
®
Smarter Retailing in action at the Food Marketing Institute’s 2005 MARKETECHNICS Show, being held at the Washington, D.C., Convention Center Feb. 13–15. In Booth 1000, Microsoft and its industry partners will highlight current and future technologies that retailers can use to reduce labor costs, promote sales, and improve customer service and operational efficiency, including the following:

  • Next-generation point-of-service operating system. Microsoft continues its decade of leadership in store system platforms and will highlight Windows®
    Embedded for Point of Service, a retail-optimized operating system platform that includes such innovative advances as enabling retail peripherals to be easily installed and managed. Featuring demo scenarios from leading hardware and software partners, Microsoft will showcase the plug-and-play functionality of Windows Embedded for Point of Service that will help lower device life-cycle costs and reduce time spent servicing devices at the store.

  • Centralized management for point of service. This demonstration will showcase how the Microsoft Windows Server System (TM) platform enables retailers to attain Smarter Operations by centrally managing technology in their stores such as point of service (POS) devices, including alerting store mangers in real time to POS issues including operational and employee exceptions, such as when an employee has to make a cancellation or deletion and needs the manager’s approval.

  • Communication and collaboration. Microsoft will highlight how Microsoft Office System helps retail organizations and their employees transform information into impact. New and familiar products, features and functionality in Microsoft Office System improve how retailers connect in real time to co-workers, information and business processes.

  • Mobility store solutions. Microsoft Windows Mobile (TM) -based and Smarter Selling solutions will also be displayed, showcasing how retailers can deliver key business assets to their employees wherever they are, freeing managers from the back office, and enhancing customer interaction by leveraging the technology shoppers bring into the store.

  • NEC Solutions (America) Inc. will showcase its wireless store operations terminal built on Windows CE 5.0. At 2.1 lbs, the NEC device brings a 10.4-inch touch display out to the sales floor for an extension of back-office applications such as ordering, merchandizing planogram and customer service applications.

  • Odyssey Software Inc. will highlight its ViaXML2 and Athena products, running on Windows Mobile and the Windows CE .NET platform, to build applications and manage deployments and devices. Odyssey will demonstrate an application that illustrates how grocers can use its products to easily and consistently execute Meal Solutions at the store level by providing the tools necessary for managers to implement the plan.

  • Product locator systems. Using key components of the Smarter Retailing Architecture, industry partner TreoSystems Inc. will demonstrate its innovative iPAL Product Locator System, along with an interface to a self-serve deli application, a recipe system and wine selector to illustrate Smarter Shopping, and the value of a multifunctional kiosk to help shoppers access useful information anywhere in the store.

  • RFID supply chain solutions. Industry partner Manhattan Associates Inc. will show how its RFID in a Box (TM) provides a flexible and scalable solution with all the tools needed to deploy and begin benefiting from radio frequency identification (RFID). Built using the latest development tool kits from Microsoft, this solution includes the company’s Integration Platform for RFID and RFID-enabled applications.

Microsoft Workshop: “Making Information Technology a Strategic Asset”

On Monday, Feb. 14, from 8–9 a.m., Ron Markezich, chief information officer at Microsoft, will speak on making information technology a strategic asset. Markezich will provide examples of best practices for introducing new technologies, achieving cost reduction and implementing security strategies.

Panel Discussion: “Disruptive and Emerging Technology”

Frank May, Microsoft’s worldwide retail technical strategist, joins visionaries from top technology partners Cisco Systems Inc., Fujitsu, HP and Intel Corporation, on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 8–9 a.m., for a panel discussion on how their research and development efforts are driving innovation in RFID, biometrics, location awareness, wireless, natural speech interfaces, mobility, collaboration and consumer devices. The session will focus on new technologies that have the potential to significantly impact supermarket retailers’ current way of doing business and their customers’ expectations and overall experience.

About Smarter Retailing

Microsoft Smarter Retailing helps retailers win today by leveraging current investments, and win tomorrow by easing delivery of new retail experiences. Consisting of Smarter Shopping, Smarter Selling and Smarter Operations, the Smarter Retailing Initiative is designed to close the loop between the retailer’s strategy, the in-store execution and familiar technologies already in the consumer’s hands. More information can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/smartretail .

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

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