Microsoft All In For Retail; Extends Leadership In End-to-End Customer Interactions And Omni-Channel Operations

NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- At the National Retail Federation (NRF)'s Annual Convention on Monday, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq "MSFT") showcased the latest release of Microsoft Dynamics for Retail. The release features innovation in modern, mobile commerce, catalog and call center sales, as well as advanced operations for warehousing and transportation and logistics management. Managed by a true omni-channel commerce engine, these new capabilities further enhance the unique end-to-end value proposition of Microsoft Dynamics for Retail to help businesses such as Ashley Furniture Industries Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc. and Jean Coutu Group Inc. deliver amazing experiences that make happy customers.

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Building on its commitment to deliver complete shopping experiences, Microsoft announced new alliances with Vantiv Inc. and Sitecore, as well as an expanded relationship with IBM. In addition, the company highlighted solution innovations on Windows Mobile devices and Microsoft Surface 2, reinforcing the company's unique position as a retailer and developer of enterprise hardware and business applications. All of this helps ensure that customers get industry-leading solutions that help them reduce costs and complexity and enable them to always be ready for what's next.

"Success in a retail environment that is modern, mobile, global and 'always on' requires businesses to create the personal and highly differentiated customer interactions," said Kirill Tatarinov, executive vice president, Microsoft Business Solutions. "Microsoft is committed to helping businesses deliver amazing retail experiences today. It is at the core of our vision for the retail industry to help businesses connect without compromise across channels, on any device, anywhere."

Industry-leading mobile commerce options and complete end-to-end e-commerce solution

As part of Microsoft's alliance with Vantiv, a leading provider of payment processing services and related technology solutions, Microsoft Dynamics for Retail will deliver a new range of solutions for mobile POS and cloud-connected payments that can help businesses maximize their customer reach at any scale, end-to-end. From simple mobile payment collection in the field and individual direct-sales transactions to retail store operations and more, the combination of Microsoft's technology with Vantiv's scalable, integrated payment processing services and technology will make it easy for businesses to take advantage of their most important asset, people, to offer seamless, best-in-class experiences.

"Our alliance with Microsoft is a great example of how Vantiv is extending payment and POS innovation to our merchant partners," said Elizabeth Rector, senior vice president of e-commerce and mobile at Vantiv. "Microsoft Dynamic's POS leadership and reseller network combined with Vantiv's omni-channel payments platform and vast distribution channels enable an entirely new scale of mobile payment solutions, delivering a true 360-degree experience to mid-market and enterprise merchants across any vertical."

Offering customers the first end-to-end, enterprise e-commerce solution based entirely on Microsoft technology, the company also announced an alliance with Sitecore, a global leader in customer experience management software, to integrate its leading customer experience platform with the leading omni-channel commerce capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics. This combined solution will give businesses the ability to design completely connected online experiences optimized for the behaviors, devices and preferences of visitors with complete, real-time, omni-channel order management.

"This alliance is a game-changer for the retail industry. The integration of Sitecore's best-in-class experience platform with Microsoft's powerful, proven commerce solution will allow organizations to harness the power of real-time data insights to personalize and deliver compelling, consistent brand experiences — online, in-store and across any channel," said Darren Guarnaccia, chief strategy officer for Sitecore. "Sitecore and Microsoft both offer trusted enterprise solutions globally and have a strong foundation of exceptional technology and joint customer success to build from."

Microsoft and IBM team to deliver innovation and value to retailers

Microsoft also announced an expanded relationship with IBM, combining the powerful capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 in retail and distribution with IBM's proven global leadership in delivering integrated, enterprise retail solutions. The relationship also includes plans for IBM to develop and deploy differentiated intellectual property to offer unique, enhanced value to customers around world.

"IBM's expanded collaboration with Microsoft will deliver innovative technology solutions that will help retailers seamlessly connect to their customers while delivering an exceptional brand experience," said Brian Minnix, partner, Worldwide Retail Competency Center Lead, IBM. "We look forward to teaming with Microsoft to design differentiated retail solutions and services for today's connected customers."

More information on the new capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics for Retail can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics/retail.aspx.

About Microsoft Dynamics
At the heart of every successful business are the people who make things happen. Microsoft Dynamics designs modern business solutions that empower individuals with intuitive tools that allow them to do their best work. Our proactive, easy-to-use business applications adapt to the way people and systems work, enabling businesses to rapidly deploy and be forward-looking in an ever-changing world.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.