Microsoft Presentation Highlights mPOS Trends, VAR Opportunities At RetailNOW 2015

By Bernadette Wilson

Mobile point of sale (mPOS) trends and the opportunities for VARs, ISVs, and other IT solutions providers created by these trends was a focus of education at RetailNOW 2015. There was standing room only (plus a few listeners gathered outside the door) for a presentation on the topic from Bob Kilbride, partner account manager at Microsoft, at the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA) event held Aug. 2 to 5 in Orlando, FL.

Kilbride explained that your customers’ requirements for mobile solutions, the consumerization of hardware, and rapid software innovation are trends fueling the demand for mPOS. Merchants are turning to mobile to improve and expand productivity, to empower their employees, and to encourage customer engagement. They recognize mPOS as a way to lower costs and increase revenue — as well as a means to be innovative and to provide unique experiences. He said consumerization of hardware has resulted in widely available mPOS-capable devices, increased competition among device manufacturers, and more options in form factor and design.  Software innovation is helping make mPOS a more attractive option through evolving operating systems, software that can be delivered via the cloud, applications and user interfaces that are increasingly easier to use, and the availability of enterprise device management. Kilbride commented, “Devices are easier, cheaper, faster, smaller, and available — even cheaper than 5 minutes ago.”

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