Today at the National Retail Federation's (NRF) annual show, endpoint OS innovator Stratodesk joined VMware, Inc. in unveiling the new VMware Retail POS modernization solution. Designed to speed digital transformation, simplify IT management, and extend the life of point-of-sale (POS) investments, the new retail solution includes Stratodesk NoTouch OS and NoTouch Center.

Business models are evolving to meet the needs of a more demanding customer. As more retailers seek to improve service and enable self-checkout experiences, the massive capital expenses, operating costs, time investment, and business disruptions associated with replacing hardware and deployment projects at multi-store scale have largely put POS and other initiatives on the shelf. Retailers can transform operations and the customer experience at the point of sale or through digitizing displays and other if they can avoid the disruptive and costly challenges associated with traditional hardware and software upgrades.

In delivering the VMware Retail POS modernization solution, Stratodesk and VMware help customers extend the useful life of on-site hardware terminals and allow retailers to migrate to a locked-down operating system at individual check-out lanes or their entire chain of stores. This breathes life into the existing hardware and improves security for endpoints. Stratodesk and VMware allow retailers to connect a wide swath of devices such as receipt printers and credit card pin pads to workloads that have been virtualized and shifted to the edge or cloud. Aging systems that are only capable of running 32-bit operating systems and software remain viable in the modern retail environment with Stratodesk NoTouch OS. The modern POS environment delivered by VMware and Stratodesk helps retailers make shopping more convenient for customers and enables IT teams to manage business transformation and change easily, whether on-premises or through the cloud.

"Stratodesk NoTouch software enables retailers around the world to embrace modernization initiatives and improve on the customer experience," said Emanuel Pirker, founder and CEO of Stratodesk. "Regardless of the kiosk, lane or store, businesses can create the same modern retail experience through the Stratodesk endpoint software suite. Customers can deploy new or repurpose existing POS terminals using their preferred hardware and infrastructure solutions."

"Our customers want to embrace a digital future, without leaving behind technology infrastructure they've spent millions of dollars on," said Ed Durbin, senior director of retail solutions at VMware. "With the new VMware Retail POS modernization solution, our mutual customers can finally step off the decade's long hardware refresh treadmill. Store operators, large and small, can modernize customer-facing POS systems while simultaneously minimizing their technology debt."

Enabling Digital Transformation and Point of Sale Longevity

The VMware Retail POS modernization solution is helping transform retail environments into modern, connected workspaces that serve both digital and in-store needs for customers. A food and pharmacy leader recently deployed the VMware POS Retail modernization solution to virtualize and centrally manage POS terminal workloads. The interoperability and performance provided by Stratodesk and VMware allows the grocery chain to improve speed of service in individual checkout lanes and extend existing technology investments.

Stratodesk worked with the customer to develop backward-compatibility to preexisting hardware and peripherals like scales and cash drawers. By standardizing on a fully virtualized terminal powered by VMware and Stratodesk, the retail chain is methodically modernizing their shops and repurposing hardware, saving significantly on capital and operating expenses, while maintaining established business and security standards.

Standardizing the Retail Endpoint OS to Simplify Digital Workspaces

The VMware Retail POS modernization solution enables retailers to manage the full lifecycle of any endpoint in one management console in support of all retail environments. Stratodesk NoTouch OS allows retailers to replace legacy operating systems in their POS hardware with a managed OS that simplifies IT infrastructure through centralization and automation. Customers can repurpose existing POS terminals with Stratodesk's secure OS, which they can easily provision locally or over the network, and provide flexibility for future workstation updates and expansions.