Introduction
In the age of online shopping, delivering an exceptional in-store customer experience has never been more crucial. Long checkout lines due to malfunctioning PoS systems, not enough built PoS systems, or the inability to complete transactions because of network slowness or outages can lead to frustrated customers—and or, worse, make them leave the store or drive them away for good. In today’s competitive retail landscape, these disruptions can severely damage customer loyalty and impact sales.
In parallel, retailers need to keep all systems up to date with security fixes reducing risk, avoiding security breaches and providing the latest application features. In today’s landscape these updates are more frequent and are getting larger. Businesses also need the ability to re-image PoS systems in break/fix, mass blue screen or ransomware scenarios as fast as possible – in all build and bandwidth scenarios.
The amount of data needed to be distributed is growing at an exponential rate and protecting the networks from congestions is of highest importance. As network infrastructure upgrades are expensive and often bandwidth is limited at stores, this is an ever-growing challenge. According to Statistica, the total amount of data created, captured, copied, and consumed globally is forecast to increase rapidly, reaching 149 zettabytes in 2024. Over the next five years up to 2028, global data creation is projected to grow to more than 394 zettabytes which is a 62% increase.
The legacy approach of having local servers/distribution points in all stores is both expensive and requires a lot of maintenance and according to Microsoft and Gartner runs at an average fully loaded cost of $140,000 per server. At 2Pint Software, we address the common challenges faced by retail companies managing large numbers of physical stores ensuring all software and operating system updates are successfully applied while protecting the network. We enable Retailers to enhance the stability, security, and efficiency of their in-store operations, without the traditional hassle of complex infrastructure, network outages or excessive overhead costs.
Challenges
Keeping Devices Up to Date Without Impacting the Network
Retailers are under constant pressure to keep their systems up to date with the latest security patches and updates, but the sheer volume of data required can easily overwhelm networks, especially in low-bandwidth environments. Traditional patching processes and content distribution often result in slow or interrupted service, risking customer dissatisfaction and reduced sales.
Fast Recovery of Malfunctioning PoS Devices
When PoS systems crash, speed is of the essence. The longer a store is without functioning PoS terminals, the more potential revenue is lost and customer dissatisfaction. Traditional re-imaging processes require physical USB drives or rely on distribution points, both introducing complexity and security concerns.
Lifecycle Management and Cost of Server Infrastructure
Gone are the days where we are getting unlimited IT budget and can deploy servers at every location. Legacy content distribution approaches, which rely on having servers or distribution points in some or all stores, are costly to set up, maintain and require substantial IT resources to manage. For retail chains with hundreds or thousands of stores, this approach becomes prohibitively expensive and inefficient.
Questions to ask yourself
Is there a way to:
- Ensure all store endpoints are up to date with application updates and security patches?
- Ensure systems can quickly and securely be re-imaged in the store in case they break with minimum labor?
- Get rid of costly and high maintenance servers/distribution points in the stores?
- Ensure the WAN links do not get saturated?
Yes! Microsoft and 2Pint Software are stronger together and there are native peer-to-peer technologies that can be leveraged.
How 2Pint addresses these challenges
Effective Patching in All Bandwidth Scenarios
2Pint’s approach allows for efficient content distribution with real-time reporting to all devices, no matter the bandwidth. The solutions are optimized for environments where bandwidth is limited, ensuring that critical updates can be delivered without affecting the performance of the store’s network. Retailers can seamlessly push patches to their devices without disrupting checkout or other point-of-sale (PoS) operations. 2Pint extends the native Microsoft caching and peer-to-peer solutions you already own, creating a very cost-effective solution.
Fast and Secure Rebuild of PoS Systems in Store
2Pint’s OSD solutions offer a fast, streamlined and secure method for re-imaging PoS systems directly within the store, without the need for USB sticks or field technicians. The 2Pint solution lets you do a network boot over HTTP/S and leverage peer-to-peer content sharing to minimize impact on the WAN links. Are you today dependant on USB sticks with offline media? With 2Pint tech you can boot over the network, removing the hassle of keeping offline media updated, and at the same time removing the need to have servers close to your client devices.
Eliminating the Need for Servers/Distribution Points
2Pint’s solutions eliminate or reduce the need for costly distribution points. The solutions leverage intelligent, decentralized distribution methods that ensure data can be accessed and pushed to endpoints without requiring dedicated servers at each retail location. By leveraging Microsoft peer-to-peer technologies, content is pulled from peers instead of servers/distribution points. This not only reduces infrastructure costs, but it also simplifies system management and enables scalability, allowing retailers to manage thousands of locations without worrying about the complexities of maintaining local servers.
Summary
In today’s competitive and fast-paced retail environment, minimizing downtime and keeping systems secure and up to date is more critical than ever. 2Pint Software offers a comprehensive solution to the common challenges faced by retailers with large, distributed networks of physical stores. From efficient patching in low-bandwidth environments to fast, secure re-imaging and recovery of PoS systems —2Pint ensures that retail companies can keep their operations running smoothly and provide a seamless, secure experience for their customers.
To learn more about how 2Pint can transform your retail operations, visit 2pintsoftware.com to learn more about our solutions and to get in touch. Take the next step in optimizing your retail technology with 2Pint Software!
Carl Otto Tuneld - 2Pint Software
Doris The Bot..