Meet NCR’s one-stop omnichannel shop for retailers

NCR’s legacy as a cash register company is long gone. The recent launch of a major retail initiative with top technology partners has positioned the company as an enabler of omnichannel execution.

NCR launched what it is calling a commerce hub with support from some of the biggest names in retail technology – Microsoft, Intel, Cisco – that is designed to give retailers new digital capabilities to bridge the physical and digital world.

Branded as NCR Retail One, the commerce hub was unveiled in Orlando on June 23 at NCR Synergy, the company’s annual user conference. What NCR Retail ONE does is allow retailers to address omnichannel requirements and position themselves for success in the new era of the Internet of Things, according to the company. That goal is accomplished by creating an open ecosystem of retail applications where retailers can mix and match their choice of applications from NCR, its partners, or 3rd party vendors.

“To remain competitive and deliver a frictionless shopping experience for consumers, retailers must embrace omnichannel today and prepare their businesses to capitalize on a future based on the Internet of Things and Big Data,” said Eli Rosner, chief technology officer and head of product management at NCR Retail Solutions. “NCR’s vision, the technology we have unveiled at NCR Synergy and our relationships with the most influential retail technology innovators will enable retailers to achieve this faster and gain an important competitive advantage.”

NCR Retail ONE is implemented using the cloud, on-premise software or a hybrid of both and the company contends it provides an evolutionary path for retailers who are preparing to capitalize on a future enabled by the Internet of Things. For example, one of NCR’s partners on the initiative is Freshub, a leading smart kitchen commerce provider.

“We are looking forward to bringing retailers into the heart of people’s kitchens via connected appliances, such as smart microwaves, kitchen music players and connected recycle bins,” said Iri Zohar, CEO and founder of Freshub. “This will allow consumers to update their online grocery shopping cart by simply waving the desired product in front of connected kitchen appliances or by voice commands.”

An equally cool capability integrated into the NCR Retail ONE ecosystem is the digital promotion capability of Inmar. Its platform integrates into the NCR Retail ONE to create a shopper engagement solution that lets retailers maintain strategic control of promotion programs, respond to consumers’ increased use of digital offers, and grow revenue from promotion-driven sales and increased store traffic.

“Retailers employing Inmar’s digital promotion solution can leverage our nationwide, open network to provide their customers with attractive, purchase-motivating offers,” says David Mounts, Inmar’s chairman and CEO. “In addition to helping build and sustain shopper loyalty, our platform allows retailers to maintain optimal visibility into shopper behavior and promotion performance.”

To ensure the newly created commerce hub works for retailers and consumers, NCR partnered with some of the biggest names in the industry. NCR chose the Microsoft Azure hybrid cloud platform for Retail ONE, it is leveraging Intel architecture and Cisco security and analytics capabilities.

“Modern retailing requires a flexible platform that allows retailers to serve customers across channels and devices. NCR’s Retail ONE platform is an exciting solution that addresses a retailer’s need to deploy seamless omni-channel capability today, while being extensible to meet the unpredictable innovations of tomorrow by leveraging the cloud and the Internet of Things,” said Brendan O’Meara, managing director, WW Retail Industry at Microsoft.

According to Michael Bayer, president of NCR Retail Solutions, the possibilities created by technology are shaping the future of retail. Empowered consumers demand a frictionless shopping experience delivered anywhere, anyhow, anytime while retailers have the opportunity to engage with and derive value from consumers in entirely new ways.

“To capitalize on this dynamic, retailers must ensure they are well-positioned to keep pace. NCR Retail ONE commerce hub provides the answer to these challenges, unleashing the potential for retailers and re-defining the shopping experience for consumers,” Bayer said.