TOKYO — March 17, 2011 —
RETAIL TECH JAPAN 2011 drew a packed crowd to Tokyo March 8–11 to hear, see and touch the latest in retail technology. Windows Embedded wowed attendees with partner demonstrations from the likes of Toshiba TEC, NEC, Fujitsu, Sharp and Casio, which featured products built on the latest Windows Embedded platforms for retail — Windows Embedded POSReady 7 (currently in community technology preview) and Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5 (recently released to manufacturing).
Attendees also heard from director of Product Management for Windows Embedded at Microsoft Corp., Mukund Ghangurde, who delivered a keynote speech to a full house of retail industry leaders where he detailed the business group’s commitment to delivering the next generation of Windows Embedded platforms, with Windows 7 technologies, to the retail and hospitality markets.
Show attendees were also treated to many cool, interactive demonstrations, including a “next generation of digital signage” demo by NEC and Intel. Powered by Windows Embedded Standard 7, the digital signage device allowed “shoppers” (show attendees) to interact with merchandise on a screen through gesture control; a camera mounted on the top of the display used intelligent video analytics to assess the shopper’s age and gender to deliver customized content. Toshiba TEC displayed its latest POSMICRO devices built on Windows Embedded POSReady 7. Casio showcased its IT-300 handheld device built on Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5 for use in a variety of retail settings by warehouse and sales professionals. The device combines the functionality of a rugged warehouse terminal with the sleek portability of a smartphone.
In case you couldn’t make it to the show, visit us on Flickr to see some of the on-site action! Follow us at @MSFTWEB, @MicrosoftEMEA and @MicrosoftASIA.