The Jd Group Chooses Microsoft over Linux for Next-Generation Point-Of-Sale

The JD Group Chooses Microsoft over Linux for Next-Generation Point-of-Sale

Situation

Innovative retailers are making use of a new generation of Point-of-Sale (POS) technologies. They offer a full range of payments functionality, combined with applications that improve access to real-time information stored in back-end systems. These technologies empower employees to provide better, more timely information for customers. In addition, they enable real-time reporting on performance and greater visibility of stock as it flows through the supply chain.

As the leading furniture retailer in South Africa, the JD Group strives to provide consistently high levels of customer service in-store. The company operates 1,000 stores across South Africa, 22 in Poland, and five in the UK.

The JD Group has traditionally operated its in-store systems using dumb terminals. Its IT infrastructure was complicated further when the company acquired furniture retailer, Profurn, which operated its in-store devices based on the Linux operating system. As a result, the company wanted to upgrade and standardise its in-store devices to simplify maintenance and increase efficiency across the organisation.

With Linux already in place at Profurn, the JD Group investigated the option of standardising on the operating system across all its 1,000 stores. Instead, after in-depth research and testing, the company decided to implement the Microsoft® Windows® XP embedded operating system. This is because it was found to be more cost effective, feature-rich, and well supported.

Solution

The JD Group deployed Microsoft Windows XP Embedded operating system, running on Dell OptiPlex SX260 computers across its 1,000 stores. Microsoft and Dell worked closely to ensure a fast, effective deployment with minimum impact on the JD Group's operations.

Jonathan Simpson, Sales Manager: Large Corporate Accounts at Dell South Africa says: "There is a close and longstanding relationship between Dell and Microsoft. By working closely with the JD Group, we were able to establish the hardware requirements for the project and collaborate with Microsoft to ensure the roll out of Windows XP Embedded was fast and effective."

Because of the componentised model of Windows XP Embedded, the JD Group was able to tailor the operating system to its specific requirements. The company can now potentially run all its POS functions on one device, significantly reducing the cost of operating the branch environment.

Windows XP Embedded reduces the burden on the IT team by enabling a central administrator to handle any application deployments, upgrades or other system changes. Jonathan Hatchuel, Technical Sales Manager at Microsoft says: "The main attraction for the JD Group was remote management. Previously, if a machine went down, the company would call a technician, who would service the device at the store. This was costing the company thousands of Rands a year."

In addition, central management enables new hardware devices to be deployed in store quickly and easily. Ian Child, Director of IT, JD Group, says: "IT technicians were once required on-site for every new hardware installation, but Windows XP Embedded gives us plug-and-play functionality for a range of peripheral devices. In-store staff can now undertake installations themselves, resulting in reduced overheads."

Once the JD group understood the benefits of moving to the Microsoft .NET Framework the company was keen to make the change. The .NET Framework is a development environment designed to connect data, systems, applications, and devices. It includes pre-built code components that enable programmers to develop new applications and Web services quickly and easily. It also includes a component called the Common Language Runtime (CLR), which enables developers to write code in their language of choice, ensuring they are as productive as possible. This simplified programming tasks and projects significantly for the group.

Child says: "The .NET Framework will continue to bring us significant savings by helping developers create new applications and Web services quickly and accurately. We now have a standard, highly-effective way to develop, and deploy new software functionality across the business as well as having a standardised platform to support our next-generation solutions."

Benefits

Lower Total Cost of Ownership

After investigating the costs associated with its planned Linux upgrade, the JD Group selected Microsoft Windows XP Embedded as the most cost-effective platform for its in-store systems. While Linux source code is available online, the investment required to transform it into an enterprise-ready, highly-secure operating system was ultimately prohibitive for the JD Group.

Child says: "The cost of configuring and maintaining Linux to support our in-store applications would have been significantly higher than the cost of Windows XP Embedded licences. Although Linux code is available in the public domain, it doesn't mean it is inexpensive to work with. In fact, organisations that want to run anything more complex than a single application often pay much more on consultancy and configuration than they would have spent on Microsoft licences."

Development Benefits

Because Windows XP Embedded is fully integrated with the Microsoft .NET Framework, it enables JD Group to deploy and integrate next-generation in-store applications quickly and easily. As such it can help retailers build smart applications that require the integration of disparate systems and data. An example of such an application would be a loyalty scheme that uses customer buying histories to offer personalised promotions at the POS.

Child says: "Windows XP Embedded delivers a fully Web-enabled architecture with native support of XML and Web services. This enables us to build and deploy applications that can analyse POS information and deliver it, in near real time, across the business--from corporate headquarters to online stores and key suppliers."

Ensuring Enterprise Agility

With the acquisition of a new company and additional in-store devices, the JD Group needed the flexibility to adapt its IT infrastructure quickly in the face of evolving business requirements.

Child says: "Given that we didn't know exactly how the