NetSuite Acquires Point-of-Sale Company Retail Anywhere

NetSuite's acquisition of Retail Anywhere is another sign of how payment acceptance is evolving into an embedded function of an overall line of business system.

NetSuites is a cloud-based business software and services provider.  Its SuiteCommerce line has found some favor among retailers who are looking to simplify their in-store operations.  Dumping thick-client PC-based cash registers for tablets with apps, nailed down to the counter or in the hands of roving sales associates, makes for a simpler IT management system and some ability to push bug fixes and new business processes out to the store faster.  


That integration of the back end and front end also gives the retailer the ability to optimize the customer experience.  Imagine that inventory integration access via a slick web interface or tablet app.  Makes in-store pick-up capability straight forward.  

From the AllThingsD post:

And things like that are having an effect on shoppers’ attitudes. A Deloitte survey conducted during the 2012 holiday season found that retailers who had several touchpoints through which to engage with a consumer had a 71 percent greater chance of selling to them than those who relied only on the old-school brick-and-mortar approach. What it means is that stores who can reach a customer both online and in person are more likely to sell to them. And that means you need to unify the experience. Pricing and inventory, for example, need to be in sync.

This also signals the increasing commoditization of payment card acceptance capability.  Tablets are manufactured in high volume.  Payment terminal models are built in lots an order of magnitude, or two, smaller.  Plan for the tablet - in its many forms - to take over the screens we've grown accustomed to on payment terminals.  And to see a lot of wrap-around, add-on payment card acceptance devices.

NetSuite Acquires Point-of-Sale Company Retail Anywhere - Arik Hesseldahl - News - AllThingsD:

'via Blog this'