Taking advantage of a high-performing and energy-efficient chip the company already sells to computer makers, Intel India has unveiled a retail point-of-sale (POS) proof-of-concept system that could lower a store's total cost of ownership while improving customer satisfaction.
Intel's proof-of-concept exhibits the latest in digital signage and point-of-sale technology in a kiosk form factor, and demonstrates how technology can enhance the retail shopping experience.
The POS demo is based on the very popular and energy-efficient 45nm Intel(R) Core 2 Duo mobile processor that is inside hundreds of millions of today's laptops and PCs. Compared with legacy POS platforms, the processor in the demo can enable more than a 70-per cent reduction in required power use while still providing as much as double the amount of raw processing performance as previous generations of processors. As such, energy savings from this POS system are passed on to retailers by way of lower-energy bills.
"Intel-based technologies will ensure retailers are well positioned to move through the current economy into a successful and profitable future, while giving their customers more information faster and easier than ever before," said Sanat Rao, Marketing Director (Emerging Markets), Embedded Computing Division, Intel India. "The organized retail sector in India is growing rapidly. The ability to improve a customer's retail experience along with arming sales associates with more accurate information and reducing operations costs, such as electricity bills and maintenance, will be a compelling proposition for India's retail industry in today's economy."
The proof-of-concept platform features Intel vPro Technology with Intel Active Management Technology and offers lower maintenance costs, improved power management and security options such as system diagnosis. Intel vPro technology allows administrators to manage systems remotely, making it possible to turn off all systems overnight to increase energy savings and reduce the need for technicians to go on-site for system maintenance, resulting in decreased carbon emissions and lower operational expenses for retailers.
The modular design of the proof-of-concept system promotes easy upgrades to next-generation CPU platforms so retailers can remain in sync with the latest technology advancements. The POS demo is customizable with a removable PC board and individual modules that can be added on, taken off, interchanged or replaced to meet evolving business needs.
