Artificial Intelligence

San Francisco - Swift Communications, a multi-platform publisher based in Carson City, Nevada, is making a strategic investment in Engage3, a retail intelligence and digital marketing solution provider. The two companies are also working together to identify retailer and supplier partners in the markets Swift serves to drive additional consumer value.

The amount of the investment, which closed earlier this month and will be used to expand the features of Engage3’s solutions, was not released.

Greenwich, Conn. – Merger and acquisition (M&A) dealflow in the retail mobile payment sector has risen 500% between 2009 and 2013, while investment dealflow has grown 300%. According to data from Mooreland Partners, a mid-market investment bank specializing in technology deals, there were 232 M&A deals in this sector from 2009-213, and 259 from 1999-2013.

Cambridge, Mass. – Hosted visual merchandising solutions provider RBM Technologies Inc. has hired Ken Sonberg as chief technology officer. Sonberg was previously VP development at enterprise mobility provider Mobiquity and also served as VP development at BCGI.

London - Sainsbury’s has selected Quantum Retail Technology to provide software and services to help optimize its fashion and general merchandise inventory through improved allocation and replenishment functionality.  

Woodland Hills, Calif. — E-commerce and smartphones are re-shaping brick-and-mortar shopping center industry. In recognition of that trend, NewMark Merrill Cos. has launched BrightStreet Ventures, a technology affiliate focused on developing new technology platforms.

London -- British grocery giant Tesco is seeking to improve the customer checkout experience by piloting a new, high-speed retail checkout solution from NCR Corp. at its Tesco Extra 24-hour store in Lincoln, U.K. The solution uses innovative imaging technology from Datalogic that automatically finds the barcode on any side of the product without the need to orient the item on the conveyor belt. It is capable of scanning up to 60 items per minute, greatly speeding the transaction.

Dedham, Mass. – Reflexis Systems Inc. is developing an application made with IBM Watson called Reflexis StorePulse that will issue alerts and tasks to regional and local store managers, based on local event and weather information, among other data, to plan their locations accordingly. The application is aimed at helping to maximize sales by ensuring each store has its finger on the local pulse.

Columbia, Md. – Micros Systems Inc. is introducing two solutions designed to allow retail and hospitality staff members to perform multiple activities from one device. The Micros MTablet E-Series operates on Microsoft Windows 8.1 Embedded Industry Pro in eight- and 11-inch versions, with the 11-inch version fully compatible with the Micros MStation base, providing staff the flexibility to be mobile or use it as a workstation option with full peripheral connectivity.

Optional sleeves for either MTablet size facilitate secure payment on the device.