STRATEGIC PARTNERS
March 19, 2004
AUSTIN, Texas - Many retailers own custom-made DOS-based point of sale (POS) applications that they run on registers, kiosks and other POS devices. They've made, in many cases, large investments in these systems, which use old-style text-based interfaces and run on an obsolete operating system.
Wincor Nixdorf Inc. has developed tools so that companies using these legacy DOS POS applications can migrate their applications to Red Hat Linux.
These tools to replace the technical layer of a DOS-based application with a Linux-based technical layer.
Dave Murphy, director of marketing and business development for Wincor Nixdorf USA, explained to KIOSKmarketplace that the technical layer means the part of a POS program that uses a standard called RDI (retail device interface). RDI is actually a platform-independent interface for accessing peripherals.
The tools Wincor Nixdorf developed modify the program so it can run using the Linux version of the RDI. The advantage, Murphy said, is the ability for retailers to replace DOS with a modern operating system. Linux gives retailers the potential to add a more efficient graphical user interface (GUI) instead of using a DOS text-based interface.
When asked why customers wouldn't prefer to buy a new, Linux-based application, Murphy said that companies have spent many development dollars making the old DOS-based systems work with their retail back ends. It may not be cost-efficient to reinvest in new POS programs.
Wincor Nixdorf may have tapped a fertile spring with these tools. Murphy said that a Chain Store Guide 2001 market study found that about 17 percent of retail applications are still running on DOS in the U.S. The number is slightly higher in Europe.
While Linux has only captured one percent of the retail market share, Murphy cited the Burlington Coat Factory's decision to install a Wincor Nixdorf POS system on Linux as a sign of the upstart operating system's potential growth.
Wincor Nixdorf consults with retailers to determine if a migration of their old system to Linux is worth the cost. There are a few conditions.
"Companies must own and have access to the source code for the application software that will be migrated," Murphy said. "More importantly, before proceeding, Wincor Nixdorf always collaborates with the customer to determine if migration is technically feasible, advances the IT side of reengineering the customer's business processes, and is financially justifiable."
If these criteria can be satisfied, Murphy explained, then Wincor Nixdorf will develop migration plans. If not, the company will suggest alternatives.
Wincor Nixdorf makes a line of touchscreen POS products called the BEETLE. Its POS solutions include thin-client POS terminals, POS systems, kiosks, lottery terminals, and mobile POS devices. The operating systems is supports include Red Hat Linux, Microsoft Windows versions, and Microsoft DOS.
