Microsoft Retail News

April 2014

Welcome to the April issue of Microsoft’s Retail News. Each installment will bring you information on what is happening inside Microsoft, around the industry and with our partners.

It’s been a busy spring for our team and a busy few months for Microsoft as a company with a number of conferences including the Build 2014 developer conference, our SharePoint Conference and Microsoft Dynamics Convergence, and many new product developments released at these events. We announced several advances to Windows including Windows Phone 8.1 and the availability of Windows 8.1 Update, and new applications and cloud services for mobility, the biggest being Microsoft Office for iPad and free Office Mobile apps for iPhone and Android phones. We wanted to make sure to provide you with more information about all of these new developments, which we’ve included below, as well as the latest news and successes from our partners and customers. And with IT security top of mind, I wanted to flag a new Retail Threat Modeling Whitepaper, developed by the Microsoft Enterprise Services Cyber Security Practice, that is now available for download here.

As we approach the summer, we have a number of our upcoming annual events including our Microsoft TechEd and Worldwide Partner conferences. Below we’ve shared more information for these events including links to the session and content catalogs that are now available so you can start your planning in advance. We look forward to seeing as many of you in person as possible!

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this month’s issue of Microsoft’s Retail News.

Sincerely, Brendan O'Meara Worldwide Managing Director, Retail Sector, Microsoft

Inside Microsoft

Microsoft showcases latest updates to Windows, opportunities for developers

At Build 2014, Microsoft's developer conference, the company announced several advances to Windows including Windows Phone 8.1, the availability of Windows 8.1 Update, a converged developer platform, and a $0 royalty licensing program for OEM and ODM partners developing smartphones and tablets with screens under nine inches. Microsoft detailed new developer opportunities on the Windows platform with a common platform across devices, a single toolset, a common infrastructure across the Windows and Windows Phone stores, and a clear commitment to interoperability. The announcements highlight Microsoft’s continued commitment to its partners and the developer community by maximizing opportunities across the broadest range of devices and services.

Microsoft expands cloud services for mobile scenarios

At the end of March, Microsoft announced several new and updated applications and services including Microsoft Office for iPad and free Office Mobile apps for iPhone and Android phones. Microsoft also announced the Enterprise Mobility Suite, a comprehensive set of cloud services to help businesses manage corporate data and services on the devices people use at work and at home. In addition, the company announced the upcoming availability of Microsoft Azure Active Directory Premium and enhancements to Windows Intune. Read the full announcement here. More information about how Microsoft is expanding Office across devices is also available on the Microsoft Office Blog here.

Microsoft makes Point of Service for .NET v1.14 generally available

Microsoft Point of Service (POS) for .NET v1.14 has been made generally available. The new set of .NET class libraries enables software developers and original-equipment manufacturers to write .NET applications for retail and hospitality that work across a wide variety of retail peripherals. Users can run POS for .NET v1.14 in the knowledge that the application will work as expected across various retail peripherals from many different peripheral manufacturers. POS for .NET v1.14 provides full compatibility with Unified POS1.14 specifications. The application’s training mode allows sales staff to practice using chip and pin peripherals without impacting on actual transactions. Read more here.

Converting data into fuel for ambient intelligence

In this new blog post from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, read more about Microsoft's vision for the era of ambient intelligence and the future of data. “The opportunity we have in this new world is to find a way of catalyzing this data exhaust from ubiquitous computing and converting it into fuel for ambient intelligence,” says Nadella. “This fuel will power improved experiences, understanding and interactions.”

Taking natural interaction with computers to the next level

Imagine a future when we’ll do more than touch, swipe and tap away at our interactive work stations, but will communicate with our devices increasingly through voice and gesture. At the Microsoft Envisioning Center, Kinect for Windows and Perceptive Pixel play a big role in bringing this future to life. The Envisioning Center features a number of immersive, scenario-driven demos that explore how technology might change the way we work, live and play five to 10 years in the future. In meeting rooms, massive touchscreens will let multiple people interact simultaneously—all the while tracking who and where we are, what we’re doing and saying, and adapting and changing accordingly.

Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics delivers essential business solutions through apps, devices and services

Last month, at the sold-out Microsoft Dynamics Convergence 2014 conference, Microsoft unveiled a comprehensive set of new capabilities across its business solutions portfolio. The additions will allow organizations to take advantage of cloud services, run agile operations that exceed customer needs, and help engage them on their terms across the Web, social, apps and mobile fronts to help fuel growth. Read the announcement here.

More information and news from Convergence 2014 is also available here. The opening keynote presentation and general session keynote speeches are now available on the new virtual event platform for Convergence 2014 at http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/convergence/atlanta14.

For ongoing updates and stories: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics/retail.aspx

Industry Viewpoint

Survey: Executive consumers want easier online ordering From: Chain Store Age

Executive consumers seek easier ordering when they shop online. According to a survey of 50 high-level executives who attended the Microsoft Dynamics Convergence Conference March 4-7 by EDI and e-commerce integrator Logicbroker, nearly three-quarters (72%) of respondents said that ease of ordering is the most important part of the online ordering process. One-third (33%) said that better communication is the area that e-commerce companies have the most potential to improve. Read more

Windows 8 mobile POS device use to soar in 2014, says IHL Group From: OnWindows

Windows 8 POS mobile device adoption is expected to grow at a much higher in 2014 than iOS and Android, according to IHL Group. The research firm puts the worldwide figure at 128.4%, while in North America, Windows 8 devices are projected to grow 183.9%. iOS is expected to grow slower than the overall market for 2014 , while Android will increase 104.6%. Shipments of new mobile POS device shipments are expected to grow more than 95% worldwide and will surpass 108% growth in North America in 2014.

Pizza … By hand From: STORES magazine

Here’s a new spin on making your own pizza. Pizza Hut is partnering with Chaotic Moon Studios to create an interactive tabletop that lets pizza-lovers visualize their order and customize it on the spot. Using Microsoft’s Surface technology, patrons can change the size of the dough, choose the sauce and cheese and add toppings -- everything from chicken to mushrooms to pepperoni. And that’s not all; diners can also add side orders like spicy chicken wings or Hershey’s Chocolate Dunkers. Once the order is complete, diners can pay for it using a smartphone. Oh, and while they wait for their order to arrive, the interactive tabletop can be used to play games.

A smart fitting experience From: RIS News

Kohl’s will pilot a Connected Fitting Room from Microsoft and Accenture to bring the ever-advancing omnichannel shopping experience to the fitting room. Upon entering the fitting room the system, equipped with RFID, recognizes the items the customer has brought in and displays them on a touchscreen. Sales associates are equipped with Windows 8 Embedded handheld devices for real-time requests from the fitting room. The system tracks items brought in and provides analytics on merchandise via a BI dashboard app.

44% of CIOs struggle with high IT spend featured From: Retail TouchPoints

Although a majority of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) would rather be working on projects that help their companies innovate (43%), 44% of CIOs spend most of their time managing IT spend to meet day-to-day needs, according to a study from Constellation Research. The fourth annual Constellation Next-Gen CIO Survey outlines interviews with 119 respondents based on their IT priorities and overall personas and finds several factors prohibiting CIOs from bringing innovation into their IT capabilities as well as top priority investments.

Partner News

Junction Solutions sells its multichannel retail software solutions to Microsoft

In March, Junction Solutions, a leading provider of vertical market-specific on-premise and on-demand software applications and services for the multichannel retail, food and beverage and life sciences sectors, announced it has completed the sale of JunctionMCR, a suite of multichannel retail software solutions developed for the Microsoft Dynamics AX platform, to Microsoft. JunctionMCR will be part of the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 release and will be available through the broad network of Microsoft sales and reseller channels. JustEnough Software and Microsoft sign global ISV partnership agreement

Last month, JustEnough Software announced it has entered into a global ISV partnership with Microsoft to deliver robust retail planning and execution solutions. With this multi-year alliance in place, Microsoft customers and partners worldwide will be able to leverage JustEnough’s retail planning solutions that help retailers plan better assortments, allocate products to the optimal stores, forecast customer demand, plan markdowns and promotions, and replenish inventory with accuracy. Read the full announcement here.

Sitecore updates experience platform

Sitecore has released Sitecore 7.2, the newest release of the company’s completely connected customer experience platform. Sitecore 7.2 delivers improved publishing and search capabilities, a refreshed SPEAK UI, even smarter analytics and the ability to run multi-variant testing in multiple languages. Informed by customer feedback and inspired by Sitecore's commitment to consistent innovation, this new version enables marketers to deliver even more personalized digital experiences that drive measurable business results. Sitecore's experience platform has been selected by The L'Oréal Group to help revolutionize the way women and men everywhere experience beauty online. Read more here.

Industry Events

Microsoft TechEd North America

May 12 – 15, 2014, Houston, Texas

TechEd North America is Microsoft’s premier technology conference for IT Professionals and Enterprise Developers, providing the technical education, product evaluation, and community resources to plan, architect, deploy, manage and secure a connected enterprise. Born from the specific, deep technical needs of a subset of the IT community focused on systems management, the Microsoft Management Summit was created by the community itself, and has evolved to cover the Microsoft vision across PCs, devices, datacenter, and cloud computing.

We are excited to announce that in 2014, we are bringing together the best of TechEd and MMS at TechEd North America in Houston, TX. The brightest and most skilled technology professionals from both communities will meet to increase their technical expertise through deep hands-on technical learning, sharing of best practices and interaction with Microsoft and a variety of industry experts and their peers. Register now

Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition 2014

June 10 – 13, 2014, Chicago, Illinois

In its 10th year, the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition is the flagship event of the e-commerce industry. The IRCE agenda is crafted with the editorial experts at Internet Retailer, and is designed around industry challenges. The 200+ speakers are carefully selected to deliver the leading strategies in ecommerce. Topics include: harnessing the new power of social, mobile and video to connect with customers; designing and merchandising web sites that convert shoppers into buyers; competing in a global market; and investing in the right technology at the right time. The exhibit hall will feature over 600 solution providers in an easy-to-navigate setting to see first-hand the latest technologies that are creating the new retail economy. Learn more here.

Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2014

July 13 - 17, 2014, Washington, D.C.

The 2014 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) is truly the premier event for Microsoft partners and draws in more than 14,000 attendees from over 150 countries. At WPC 2014, grow your professional network and your business by networking, learning business building best practices, and honing your expertise with Microsoft solutions. Learn how Microsoft is betting big on the five trends of the modern IT industry—Cloud, Data, Leadership, Mobility, and Social—and discover where opportunities exist for your business to expand. Partners who attend WPC typically see 10% more growth year-over-year than those who do not attend. The Session Catalog for WPC is now available. Register before April 25 for early bird pricing.

New Case Studies

Jean Coutu to deliver 21st century retail experience with Microsoft Dynamics for Retail

Since opening its first pharmacy in 1969, Jean Coutu Group (JCG) has constantly innovated and adapted to meet the needs and expectations of its customers. The Canadian pharmacy giant has played an important role in advancing professional practice in drugstores, successfully balancing the advantages of a large chain with a relentless focus on personalized service offered by a local pharmacist. With trends in technology and online shopping reshaping the retail experience, the company was challenged to adapt to changing consumer demands, while still maintaining this personal focus. In 2012, the company set out to find a replacement for its legacy retail management system. JCG evaluated several major ERP and retail management systems, finally selecting Microsoft Dynamics for Retail as the only solution that had the capability to support both core administrative processes and strong point-of-sale functionality within a single solution. Learn more

Fashion Retailer Paul Smith sets the trend in business agility, launches hybrid cloud solution

Six years ago, British fashion designer Paul Smith had a goal to optimize its IT function. It sought a vendor that offered interoperable, foundational technologies with the right combination of innovation and value. Paul Smith embraced the Microsoft cloud operating system vision and built an agile, responsive global IT infrastructure, managed by only 15 people, so IT can provide efficient services to ensure that the business continues to play a leading role in the fashion industry—while keeping costs down. Along the way, Paul Smith used Windows Server, Hyper-V, and Microsoft System Center hybrid cloud and data center technologies to virtualize more than 80 percent of its servers, improve data center density by 200 percent, and save more than £840,000 (US$1.4 million) in IT costs in one year. It also reduced recovery time from 48 hours to 5 minutes for its mission-critical applications.

Shoppers Stop enhances employee engagement, fuels innovative ideation

Headquartered in Mumbai, Shoppers Stop is one of India’s largest department store chains operating in 28 cities with more than 10,000 employees. To continue its growth and to foster a more collaborative culture, Shoppers Stop wanted to create a common technology platform that could enable ideation from grounds up, knowledge sharing amongst its large and decentralized employee base and bring in efficiency in operations. By implementing Microsoft SharePoint 2013, it was able to recreate its company portal with 200 subsites into a collaborative platform in 76 days. The new platform helped generate 1,300 employee ideas in just three months and its new visual merchandizing application has reduced the store review process by 30 percent to deliver a consistent customer experience.

Golf Gear Maker survives business downturn by moving servers, services to the cloud

Like many companies facing the global recession, Callaway Golf decided it had to cut costs. The IT organization moved many web properties and databases to Windows Azure, which delivered US$324,000 annually to the company’s bottom line. But the use of cloud computing did more than save money. It also gave Callaway unprecedented flexibility and scalability in responding to the needs of its global business. By using Windows Azure, Callaway can deliver servers to remote offices in hours versus months and scale capacity quickly to ensure great reseller and consumer experiences on Callaway websites. It has also eliminated maintenance downtime that used to plague international offices. Callaway uses Windows Intune to proactively manage sales computers and keep salespeople productive. And the company is evaluating Microsoft hybrid cloud storage as a way to further reduce costs.

Niche Biscuit Manufacturer moves to cloud, enhances collaboration, lowers costs

Bakewell Biscuits, a 10-year-old cookies and biscuits company with manufacturing plant and office in Gujarat, wanted to expand into the toughest markets in the world – United States and Europe. Recognizing the difference in communication styles and time zones from existing Asian and Middle Eastern customers, it needed a better communications and collaboration platform to manage its employees and global distributors to support growth. Bakewell embraced Microsoft Office 365 finding a cost-effective and easy way to access and edit documents, respond to emails, and approve documents by voice or video conferencing with overseas customers. Not only does it allows the management to work with customers the way they want but it eases business pressures by giving access to information on any device. Bakewell estimates it will save 35 percent in collaboration and communication expenses in the first year alone.

New Blog Posts

Retail threat modeling Our industry team continues to take the pulse of the clients we serve including retail, consumer goods, hospitality, and travel. As part of our overall mission to bring industry-relevant business solutions to market we also listen and respond to client inquiries on various hot topics. One such topic is related to information security. More specifically, best practices around protecting consumer personally identifiable information (PII), including payment and customer loyalty data. Read more in this blog post by Microsoft's WW General Manager for Retail, Consumer Products & Services Sector Tracy Issel. You can also download a new Retail Threat Modeling Whitepaper, developed by the Microsoft Enterprise Services Cyber Security Practice, here.

Empowering retailers with customer insights

The world of data is changing and retailers are challenged by the increasing scale, complexity and velocity of data. The past few decades have seen exponential growth in computing and storage: driven by Moore's Law, computing power has increased dramatically, making the modern laptop more powerful than a supercomputer from 1980s. At the same time the amount of data stored has grown dramatically, thanks to rapidly declining hardware cost and the emergence of new data sources such as RFID, the web and social media. Read our retail team blog post from Shish Shridhar, director for business intelligence solutions.

Building the mobile workplace with Windows and Windows Phone

Eighteen months ago, with the launch of Windows 8, we took our first step towards a unified Windows and Windows Phone experience for customers, partners and developers by creating a consistent UI across desktop, notebook, tablet and phone. This month’s updates take another major step forward by unifying the developer platform and Windows Store and Windows Phone Store experiences to synchronize app experiences across devices. This convergence enables developers to easily reuse code and business logic in apps that run on everything from the smallest Windows smartphone devices up to the largest PPI displays, and everything in between. It also makes it simpler for ISVs to create apps that run across the entire Windows device ecosystem. Contact Us

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