HP Innovation Journal Special Edition: Retail Transformation | Page 28

consume much of retailers’ IT budgets. Additionally, while
retailers purchasing POS bear full responsibility for secu-
rity, employing appropriate management tools from the
manufacturer can reduce risks by ensuring the latest OS
and application security patches are deployed and in use.
These days, many retailers are finding the biggest head-
ache resulting from using a traditional purchase for POS is
getting locked into the capabilities a platform offers at one
point in time. Today’s market changes much faster than
it used to, forcing retailers to modify or upgrade their
devices far sooner than they planned or risk falling behind
the competition.
Because of all this, a growing number of retailers are
choosing Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) models offered
by some POS manufacturers, such as HP. DaaS models
remove many of the burdens of installing, managing and
updating POS from the retailer, so IT staff can focus on
development and innovation rather than maintenance
and security. Depending on the level and terms retail-
ers choose, DaaS can mean the POS manufacturer takes
responsibility for keeping hardware healthy and current,
making it easier to add new components and features as
market conditions change. The retailer can even access
services that optimize the productivity of their POS solu-
tion, including hardware analytics and software support
and proactive maintenance services.
It’s never been more critical for retailers to push forward
with innovative, tech-fueled brand experiences in their
stores. That requires rethinking traditional approaches on
how to acquire, maintain and enhance POS systems, which
can bog retailers down by consuming excessive resources
and holding back enhancements. By taking a holistic view
that includes a thorough look at total cost of ownership,
hardware lifecycles, return on investment and as-a-service
models, retailers can optimize their IT resources and max-
imize the ability for the POS platform to drive conversions,
revenue and customer satisfaction.
This article originally appeared in Retail Info Systems News.
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HP Innovation Journal: Retail Transformation