Microsoft to Bring Windows 10 Point-of-sale (POS) Solutions to Brick-and-mortar Shops

Microsoft brought a lot of changes with Windows 10, and one of the most revolutionary changes is the ambition to spread Windows 10 across a huge variety of devices, not just PCs, laptops, and tablets. We recently told you that Microsoft plans to infiltrate Cortana into people’s cars and homes, and now the company wants its operating system to be present in your local store.

At the National Retail Federation’s Big Show, that was held in New York City a couple of days ago, Microsoft announced some new partnerships that will deliver new Windows 10 point-of-sale (POS) solutions to brick-and-mortar shops.

“The new Windows 10 POS solution will transform traditional, stationary workstations into interactive mobile experiences,” said Jeremy Korst, general manager of Windows Product Marketing at Microsoft,

These new workstations will bring new customer experience to local stores, by combining an online shopping and in-store service, by using the machine. All this will be achieved with Microsoft’s cloud prowess with Azure, machine learning, analytics, and close integration between differently Microsoft’s solutions.

New Customer Experience Powered by Windows 10

Microsoft partnered with a couple of manufacturers to deliver the new product, including Macy’s, L’Oréal Paris, Mondelēz International Inc. (makers of Oreos), Telstra, Virgin Atlantic and more.

For example, Microsoft will partner with Mondelēz International to build a new vending machine, called Diji-touch. The machine will be powered by Windows 10, Kinect and Azure IoT, and it will feature a huge touch screen buttons, and some futuristic buying options, like add to cart, display ingredient and nutritional info, and a huge variety payment options. The main product in Diji’s offering will be, you guessed it, Oreos.

You can read all about these new POS solutions on Microsoft blog.

This is definitely a revolutionary move by Microsoft, as it will completely change the customer experience, which was the same for years. Tracy Issel, a general manager of Worldwide Retail at Microsoft, described the company’s efforts as “an evolution from omni-channel to unified commerce, in which shoppers no longer have to choose between the rich selection of online shopping and the service and attention of an in-store experience. Instead, new tools, systems and solutions, including the power of the cloud, create a truly seamless customer experience across digital retail and the brick-and-mortar store.”